Ninja cops of the Philippine drug war

In 2019, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde became subject of controversy over allegedly protecting "ninja cops" involved in an operation in Mexico, Pampanga, in 2013, a few years before the start of President Duterte's administration.

[1] PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde became the center of the controversy when he was accused of protecting the so-called "ninja cops" or corrupt officials.

This followed dela Rosa relieving 32 police personnel in Metro Manila an reassigning them to Caraga, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

[5] On November 29, 2013, twelve police officers, led by Major Rodney Baloyo, conduct a raid on Mexico, Pampanga, and seized 36.68 kg (80.9 lb) of methamphetamine (shabu).

[7] Baloyo contradicted the morning police operations, saying that they raided Lee's house at 4:30 p.m.[8] On November 30, 2013, authorities submitted the illegal drugs that they recovered as a evidence.

[17][18] On October 21, 2019, The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed a complaint before the Department of Justice against Albayalde and 13 of his personnel, citing a reinvestigation of the alleged recycling of some 162 kilograms of shabu that they seized,[19] while the Senate suggested life imprisonment for the police officers.

[22] In December 2022, former PNP chief and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, declared ninja cops were "back" in Metro Manila citing the October 2022 case.