President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday the fate of Philippine National Police chief General Oscar Albayalde would depend on the result of the Senate investigation and the recommendation of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año who would review the Senate report.

In a interview before he left for Russia at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, Duterte said as a respect and obedience to separation of powers, he would allow the Senate to complete its investigation on the "ninja cops," which also dragged Albayalde for allegedly being their protector.

Ninja cops were allegedly involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

"So the most proper thing to do, which is in line with procedural due process, is to await for the closure of the investigation by the Senate and when it is forward to me since it is under --- the police is under DILG, it’s a bureau under Secretary Año. So I will forward it to him, give him specific period to complete his investigation --- not so short, not too long, but a period of time that is comfortable if he needs to call people. But all he has to do is to review. And if he needs to conduct altogether another investigation, he can do so," he said.

Duterte said the executive branch is not totally bound by the investigation of other departments.

"Though I would say that most of the testimony or declarations given in the Senate were under oath, I supposed that everybody was telling the truth there. So just a little more time," he said.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong during the hearing of the Senate committee on justice alleged that Albayalde intervened in the case of his former men in Pampanga police in 2013. The cops allegedly made millions from confiscated illegal drugs in their operation.

Duterte said when he decides on the basis of Año's report, "I can dismiss, discharge, terminate any and all of them. So I will wait for it."

"But we will be fair. There has to be… you know the PNP is not that bad. By and large, we have a very good PNP working for our country. The scalawags, the ninja cops have been there in Manila, one or two in Davao, and everywhere," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS