MANILA, Philippines — The National Prosecution Service (NPS) has filed charges against 29 police officers involved in the mishandling of a drug case, which resulted in the seizure of over 900 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion.
In an order dated January 14, 2025, the court directed that the 29 accused policemen each post a P200,000 bail for temporary release.
The panel of prosecutors accused the officers of planting evidence and delaying the proper prosecution of arrested individuals connected to the drug trade.
According to the resolution, the officers failed to carry out a lawful arrest of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, who was suspected of involvement in the drug trade, and Ney Atadero, another individual linked to the narcotics operation.
The flawed operations led to the arrests of Mayo and Atadero in October 2022.
Atadero was arrested on October 8 in a buy-bust operation, while Mayo was apprehended the following day in a hot pursuit operation in Manila.
During the investigation, the police claimed to have found two kilograms of shabu in Mayo’s possession. However, prosecutors argued that the arrests were “simulated.”
CCTV footage presented by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) showed Mayo already in custody on October 8.
The footage revealed that Mayo, handcuffed, was transported by police to the WPD Lending Office in Tondo on the same day, where Atadero was supposedly arrested in a separate operation.
The resolution concluded that both arrests were staged, noting that Mayo had been detained earlier in Bambang, Tondo, while Atadero was seen freely roaming the area.
The footage suggested that Atadero was awaiting senior police officers before his arrest.
While the drug case against Mayo and Atadero has been filed in court, the prosecutors emphasized that the indictment was based on the simulated arrests.
They stated that the officers involved should be criminally responsible for violating Section 92 of RA 9165 (Planting of Evidence under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act).
The case is now pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court, Branch 175.