The resignation of PNP chief Oscar Albayalde is evidence of a large crack within Duterte’s police criminal syndicate. It is a result of inner struggles among rival syndicates for control of the national police. It is part of the conflicts over drug protection money and control of drug trafficking operations in the country.

By forcing Albayalde out of the PNP, rival drug syndicates (who are also in bed with political factions) have put themselves in a more advantageous position to have Duterte, as the drug overlord, appoint their chosen officer as new chief who will serve their interests better.

Albayalde’s forced resignation foreshadows a more violent drug war as it will embolden the rival syndicates to defend their territories and operations. The appointment of a new chief will likely be followed by extensive reorganization of the national police accompanied by intensified attacks against drug operations of rival syndicates.

It is likely that more exposés and counter-accusations will be made public in the coming months. Duterte’s “war on drugs” will be further revealed to the public as one big hoax.

The recent senate investigation thoroughly exposed how the police forces are part of the criminal drug syndicates in the Philippines and how “anti-drug operations” form part of the violent conflict between one drug syndicate and another. It specifically showed how police operations are sometimes used as cover by some drug syndicates to seize the merchandize of their rivals.

Indeed, the PNP is one big rotten organization. Police officers, specifically, climb the echelon and earn their stripes by serving one criminal syndicate and one political elite faction or another.