A total 1,828 policemen were dismissed from the service due to serious infractions to duty while 498 others were being investigated for drug-related cases, including 266 who tested positive for drugs and 232 involved in drug activity.
The dismissal coincided with reports four police officers were now facing criminal charges before the Department of Justice for alleged involvement in extortion activities from junkshops in Valenzuela City.
Accused of committing the crime of robbery-extortion in violation of Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code were Sr. Insp. Adonis Paul Gonzales Escamillan, commander of Police Community Precinct 8 of Valenzuela City, and his subordinates SPO4 Serafin Sarapdon Adante, PO1 Ryand Paul Estapia Antimaro, PO1 Rey Harvey Azadon Florano and civilian Amado Baldong Jr.
The case was filed on Wednesday before the DoJ where the respondents were subjected to inquest proceedings following their arrests.
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said the dismissal of 1,828 personnel were among the 6,401 errant lawmen meted out administrative penalties for various offenses since 2016 until the first semester of 2018.
Albayalde said those discharged from the service committed penalties ranging from involvement in criminal activity, grave misconduct, serious neglect of duty, linked to criminal cases, serious irregularity, malversation, dishonesty, and graft and corruption.
“The Philippine National Police has sustained the momentum of its continuing internal cleansing program in the 190,000-strong police force over the past two years under the Duterte administration when organizational discipline and internal reform became the centerpiece of the service agenda,” saidAlbayalde.
Also penalized were 3,589 personnel slapped with suspension terms, 362 demoted in rank, 403 reprimanded, 147 penalized with salary forfeiture, 43 withheld privileges and 29 restricted to quarters.
Aside from those penalized for administrative offenses, 498 more personnel were investigated for drug-related cases including 266 who tested positive for drug use and 232 for involvement in drug activity.
A total 261 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who tested positive for drug use were dismissed from the service, while 92 more were dismissed, 23 were suspended and nine demoted for involvement in drug activity.
Escamillan remains at large and is now being hunted by the Philippine National Police Counter Intelligence Task Force.
Adante, Antimaro, Florano, and Baldon were arrested in an entrapment operation along Mindanao Ave. in Barangay Ugong at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The operation arose from reports that said they were involved in extorting P200 to P500 from junk shop owners in the community on a daily basis.
Recovered from the operation were marked money worth P200 and several other bills in different denominations.
The suspects and the recovered marked money and other bills were taken to the CITF in Camp Crame, Quezon City for documentation and filing of appropriate cases.
The National Capital Region Police Office, quoting Northern Police District‘s Chief Supt. Gregorio Lim, said “personnel of the Police Community Precinct No. 8 of the Valenzuela City Police Station, including the PCP commander, will be relieved and will be subjected (to) investigation.”