SENATOR Grace Poe on Thursday asked the Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police to investigate the policemen linked to illegal activities in a drive to cleanse the police force.
“We must ensure that we have a highly efficient and competent police force with the primary duty to protect the people,” Poe said.
“Rogue policemen have no place in the PNP.”
Poe said appropriate charges should be filed against the scalawags in the police service.
The PNP has so far conducted 1,261 investigations on the deaths of illegal drug pushers and users during police operations.
Of that number, Poe said, 547 policemen had been charged with administrative complaints, 356 investigations were still pending, 27 policemen had so far been terminated, 302 cases had been dropped and closed, 28 were submitted for summary hearing proceedings, and one was submitted to disciplinary authorities.
Of the more than 159,000 policemen tested for illegal drugs, 164 had tested positive for illegal drug use.
Chief Supt. Leo Angelo Leuterio said last month they could not say when the cases against the policemen would be resolved.
But Interior Secretary Ismael Sueño on Tuesday urged a speedy investigation to rid the agency of scalawags and address the irregularities within the force.
PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa earlier said he was open to Poe’s suggestion to appoint a civilian head of the IAS as mandated by law.
Poe had filed Senate Bill 868 that seeks to form an independent institutional watchdog for the police service and Senate Resolution 70 to look into the continued non-implementation of RA 8551 as regards the PNP-IAS.