The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered intensified intelligence monitoring on about 3,000 “erring” police officers to clear the force’s name amid the issue of “ninja cops” within its ranks.
PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Tuesday said the derogatory records of these scalawags include involvement in extortion and illegal drugs, among others.
“We have been monitoring these personalities, those scalawags, and my instruction after hearing those adjudications is that intel operatives will actually work to make sure that they don’t do anything stupid anymore,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony inducting eight senior officials as major generals and brigadier generals.
“I am encouraging also the commanders at all levels to make sure the counter-intelligence function of their office is functioning at their level,” he added at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Tuesday.
This came after two generals and two colonels are facing administrative and criminal charges for their alleged links to the illegal drug trade, while 32 senior officers face further investigation and 917 others were cleared by an advisory group that screened the top ranks of the police force.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. revealed this Monday as the fate of the policemen involved in the missing drugs from the record P6.7-billion shabu haul seized last year will be revealed within the week, the PNP said.
The issue of “ninja cops” or those involved in the alleged recycling of illegal drugs seized from operations back to the street continues to hound the PNP.
To address this, Acorda said the PNP will implement radical moves to ensure “honest law enforcement operations,” including the possibility of dissolving the Special Operations Unit of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).
Acorda maintained that erring cops have no place in the organization, especially under his watch, as he vowed to implement an intensified internal cleansing.
He said the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) would be given “more teeth” to weed the erring personnel out of the service.
IMEG is the primary PNP unit going after erring policemen while IAS is in charge of investigating the administrative charges against police officers.
Meanwhile, Acorda urged the public to report rogue police officers in their community just as he vowed that he would be “quick and decisive” in their cleansing efforts.
“We are really going to punish erring personnel but in a way that we are not going to disrespect their uniform… But definitely, we will be harsh to them especially if they are not going to change,” he said.
During the ceremony, Acorda also told the eight promoted senior officials to focus on their institutional priorities when making a decision.
“You should always think of the institutional priorities hence when you make a decision, you should always consider the institution that we serve for, so with your new rank now, don’t test your powers,” he said in his speech.
“You have that power already. Do not use (it) as a means to advance personal interest but rather use your rank in upholding institutional development and with that I hope with your new rank, use it for our unity,” he added. With Charles Dantes
In a separate briefing at the Department of the Interior and Local Government office in Quezon City on Monday, Abalos said the PNP advisory body “recommended the non-acceptance of the courtesy resignations of 917 police officers” and further investigation on 32 other officers.
The non-acceptance effectively means these generals and colonels were cleared from the extensive anti-drug probe ordered by the DILG, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo added during a public briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Abalos also noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. already declared that he is accepting the courtesy resignation of two generals.
The Interior Secretary said the National Police Commission (Napolcom) also issued a resolution to proceed with the pre-charge investigation against two colonels suspected of being so-called “ninja cops.”
“The Napolcom will recommend to the President that he should accept these colonels’ courtesy resignations as well, without prejudice to their administrative liability,” he added.
These measures, Abalos said, were based on the recommendations of the advisory body that looked into the involvement of PNP third-level officers — from colonels to generals — in the illegal drug trade. With Charles Dantes