Christopher “Bong” Go, a special assistant to the president, denied on Thursday that he requested Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa to reinstate a police official who was relieved of his post because of an offense..

Go issued the denial after opposition Senator Leila de Lima claimed it was him who asked Dela Rosa to reinstate regional criminal investigation group Superintendent Melvin Marvin Marcos.

"The allegations are pure hearsay and unsubstantiated," he said.

Go, who is close to Duterte, added he could not recall having met Marcos and he did not know him personally.

"I did not ask General Bato ( nickname of Dela Rosa) to reinstate him. I also do not interfere with the affairs and functions of the PNP," he said.

Dela Rosa, in a press conference earlier Thursday, said he brought Marcos back to his position after a friend, whom he described as one with a higher rank than him in government, interceded.

Dela Rosa said the friend asked him to reconsider his decision relieving Marcos on behalf of his family who were left in Leyte. “I said, yes no problem. For humanitarian purposes,l I can do it. I am willing to do it,” said Dela Rosa.

Marcos led a police team serving a search warrant which ended in a shootout with detained suspected drug lord, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera town, Leyte, inside the Leyte sub-provincial jail on November 8..

De Lima said a source only told her that it was Go who made a request to PNP chief. Celerina Monte, Emmanuel Tupas/DMS