IN A bid to intensify the internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police (PNP), newly-installed Director General Oscar Albayalde said Monday, April 23, that he ordered the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to expedite the resolution of administrative cases against police personnel.
“I gave instructions to our IAS to expedite lahat ng mga admnistrative cases ng PNP. Hindi lang para masuspend or madismiss sila. Just to afford them the due process also. They deserve the due process also,” he said.
“Hindi porke nakasuhan ka, guilty ka. Yun talagang alam natin na may kasalanan we have to (be) very fast, kung talagang kailangan suspendihin, suspendihin na namin, kung kailangan i-dismiss sa serbisyo, idi-dismiss na natin outright,” he added.
(Being charged does not make one guilty. But we have to act on the cases fast. If a personnel has to be suspended, he should be suspended immediately. If a personnel should be dismissed, we will dismiss him outright.)
Earlier, IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said at least 1,122 police personnel are facing administrative charges
Albayalde said the PNP, under his leadership, “will breathe discipline 24/7.”
He said if policemen on the ground will not change their ways, there will be more of them who will either be suspended, dismissed or relieved from the post for not doing their job properly.
During his stint as the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Albayalde said 279 policemen were suspended, 825 were demoted, 365 were re-assigned to other areas including Mindanao and 1,750 cops were charged administratively.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that majority of those he asked for advice did not like Albayalde because of his strict leadership.
However, Duterte said Albayalde’s strict leadership has made him choose him.
Albayalde vowed to intensify campaign against erring cops who continue tainting the police image.
Albayalde said the PNP will also intensify its counter-intelligence capability which will help the PNP counter-intelligence task force to investigate on erring cops.
“We will strengthen our counter intelligence (CI) units particularly our CI units from the IG (intelligence group) kasi over the years medyo napabayaan,” he said.
“Napabayaan kasi ang CI natin kaya kailangan pa natin mag-create ng CITF. Now we are in the process of vetting kung sino pwede ma-asign dyan sa IG at CI. These are the people who gather information kung sino ang mga gumagawa ng illegal sa amin then the CITF will operate on them,” he added.
He said the CI will look into even the smallest offenses being committed by police personnel including those who are not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, texting or pre-occupied during the conduct of mobile patrolling and treating complainants in an unlikely manner.
“Just recently meron nakukuhang complaint, ‘yung complainanant hihingi lang ng spot report, blotter copy hindi mabigyan ng ating pulis dahil wala daw ‘yung imbestigador. These are the things that we want to be changed, want to improve on,” said Albayalde.
“Kapag merong nagsabi sa atin na ‘yung isang complainant or kababayan natin pumunta sa isang istasyon at sinagot ng ating mga pulis na walang gas, imbestigador, chief of police, tanggal lahat yan and we will investigate on them and minimum d’yan suspension,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)