MANILA - Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo should stop speaking in behalf of embattled former Police Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde who has been linked to the reselling of illegal drugs, a senator said Wednesday.

“He should not be a spokesman of General Albayalde. He should be a spokesman of the President,” Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Richard Gordon said, while clarifying that he was “not going after Albayalde.”

“I’m not going after him. I’m just citing the law as Blue Ribbon chairman,” he said.

Panelo earlier dismissed as “hearsay” testimonies alleging that Albayalde deliberately refused to dismiss from service 13 “ninja cops” who nabbed and sold 160 kilograms of shabu worth around P648 million in 2013.

The Palace spokesman also belied senators’ claim administrative charges could still be filed against Albayalde even if he already stepped down as police chief.

“To me he is challenging the Blue Ribbon investigation, a very, very important case that the public has a tremendous stake in,” Gordon said in a phone interview.

“He should respect the Senate investigation. He can make statements but that is being disrespectful because we are still in the process of investigation,” he said.

Panelo’s statements favoring Albayalde does not echo President Rodrigo Duterte’s initial plan to place the former police chief on a terminal leave, Gordon said.

It was Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s decades-long aide, who earlier revealed that the President wanted Albayalde to take a terminal leave while the Senate probe on the ninja cops controversy was ongoing.

• Duterte wanted Albayalde to take terminal leave, says Bong Go