MANILA - The head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday slammed one of his predecessors who urged him to quit his post following the "ninja cops" controversy.

PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino asked retired military chief Dionisio Santiago, who served as PDEA head for 4 years under the Arroyo and Aquino administrations, to keep out of the issue.

“We have identified these ninja cops and we have been conducting casing surveillance on them. E siya anong nagawa niya (What did he do)?” Aquino asked.

“I urged Santiago to just enjoy his private life and shut up,” Aquino said.

Santiago had said Aquino should resign because it seems he does not have any solution in stopping the operations of "ninja cops" or policemen who recycle seized illegal drugs.

He also questioned the timing of allegations against Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, who is set to retire on Nov. 8.

The former PDEA chief also briefly served as chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board in 2017 before President Rodrigo Duterte asked him to step down.

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