GRAVE misconduct and simple neglect of duty remain to be the common violation by police personnel in Baguio City and Benguet Province.
In the weekly “Pulis Mo, Kaibigan Mo” radio forum, Baguio City Police Office-Internal Affairs Service (BCPO-IAS) head Major Roldan Dolipas said such violations committed by police personnel for 2019 are subject to administrative sanctions, aside from criminal sanctions imposed by the PNP.
“Based on our data of cases coming from the Regional Internal Affairs Service recorded for 2019, we are currently handling five cases in the region. All these cases underwent investigation and summary hearing procedures and we have submitted this to our regional director with our recommendation while awaiting for his decision,” Dolipas said.
Baguio City and Benguet Provincial Internal Affairs Service provides policy direction in the conduct of inspection, audit and investigation of PNP personnel and units, and provides assistance and coordinative action to the regional and national office in the conduct of inspection and audit.
It reviews existing rules and regulations, programs and operations of the PNP regional organization and submits reports and recommendations to the Inspector General(IG), IAS on the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative programs and operations, aside from evaluating and resolving resolutions, recommendations of the Provincial/City/District IAS; within its jurisdiction.
Benguet IAS Representative Police Lieutenant Marcus Nabunyag revealed for the province, it only had one case which have been dropped and closed due to lack of probable cause, while another refilled case regarding illegal drugs and all other refilled cases based on the directive of the IG will undergo summary hearing procedures.
“This single refilled case showed lacking evidences and witnesses which our investigator decided to dropped and closed. However, the complainant may still ask for a reinvestigation provided they have additional evidences to establish probable cause and for the Police personnel to undergo hearing following a prescriptive period of three days,” Nabunyag stated.
The City and Provincial IAS insures that powers and functions of their office are effectively exercised and implemented including policy directions formulated by the Inspector General-IAS
It’s also submits reports to the IG through the Regional-IAS on all matters affecting the disposition of cases including the overall performance under their jurisdiction, aside from exercising administrative supervision of their IAS personnel.
“So far, no member of the police organization in Baguio City and Benguet Province are involved in the illegal drugs trade. But there is an instruction coming from our inspector general last May to conduct a re-investigation or re-filling of three drug cases which were previously dismissed since there were no probable cause against our police,” Dolipas added.