MANILA- Police General Oscar Albayalde has "had enough" of the corruption allegations hurled against him which may have prompted him to resign as head of the Philippine National Police, Malacañang said Monday.

Albayalde stepped down as PNP chief on Monday, earlier than previously announced, as he fought allegations he protected his men accused of selling seized narcotics.

"I can only speculate that maybe he (Albayalde) had enough of the—according to him—false, unfair accusations and innuendos, especially because his family is suffering. Baka bumigay yung mama (Maybe the guy gave in)," Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters Monday.

Panelo has denied that Malacañang pressured Albayalde to step down.

"He (Albayalde) wants to spare the entire organization from whatever speculation, bad or false, about shame in the organization," Panelo said in an ANC interview.

Albayalde said he was going on non-duty status starting Monday. He said last week that he was leaving the PNP top post on Oct. 29. He will retire on Nov. 8, when he turns 56.

Albayalde was head of the Pampanga police when 13 of its officers were accused of pilfering some 160 kilos of shabu from a 2013 operation against a suspected Chinese drug lord.

Former police official Benjamin Magalong, in a recent Senate hearing, claimed Albayalde sought to defer the dismissal order against his former subordinates.

Another retired police official, Rudy Lacadin, later claimed that Albayalde called him up to inquire about the case of the so-called "ninja cops" and allegedly admitted that some of the drug loot went to him but "only a little."

Panelo, also the chief legal counsel of President Rodrigo Duterte, challenged Albayalde's accusers to present evidence and file charges against the former top cop.

"Three times inimbestigahan tapos walang charges?" Panelo said.

(He was investigated 3 times and yet there are no charges?)

Albayalde, the second PNP chief under President Duterte, earlier denied the accusations against him, saying "it seems that everybody is ganging up on me" and that "it’s as if I’m being crucified already."