EDITORIAL - Cops and drug dealers

A Taguig policeman is seeking state protection after accusing his colleagues in the city’s police force, led by their chief, of involvement in drug trafficking. Police Officer 3 Alexander Saez, in a complaint filed with the National Bureau of Investigation, accused his fellow cops of shaking down drug suspects and reselling seized shabu. Saez, a member of the anti-narcotics unit of the police force, accused his fellow cops of operating a drug ring from the police headquarters.

Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario, Taguig police chief, will have a chance to refute the allegations. If the story turns out to be true, however, it won’t be the first time that cops are implicated in the illegal drug trade. Pilferage of seized drugs for personal or commercial purposes is also not new. There have been many cases of drug evidence disappearing from police safekeeping.

Police officers are more often accused of coddling drug traffickers. The drug den or “tiangge” in Pasig City that was raided in 2006, located within spitting distance of city hall, could not have flourished without the protection of police and barangay officials. A year after the raid, the tiangge was up and running again, despite the arrest of the previous principal operator.

Raids on shabu laboratories rarely lead to the arrest of the operators, fueling suspicion that the suspects are tipped off by their protectors. Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency have also been implicated in drug deals and accused of extorting large sums from arrested suspects. The shakedowns allow drug dealers to go free and continue their activities.

The NBI and Philippine National Police should conduct a thorough probe into the claims of Saez, who has reportedly submitted documents to support his accusations. If he is telling the truth, his story should lead to sweeping measures to stop cops from engaging in the illegal drug trade.