THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas gave a stern warning to policemen in Western Visayas who are sleeping or drinking while rendering duty.

Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of PRO-6, said on Sunday that police officers should double their efforts to provide much better services to the people as they are now well-compensated following their recent salary increase.

Gorero said policemen have no reason to sleep while on duty because they are assigned in shifts, wherein one can be replaced by another after his or her duty.

“They know that sleeping and being lazy in their work are not allowed or else they’ll be penalized,” he added.

Last Wednesday, four station commanders and their 14 men were caught either sleeping or having a drinking session while on duty, during the surprise inspection of National Capital Region Police Office director Oscar Albayalde in several police stations in Pasay, Makati and Muntinlupa.

Two days after, Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año ordered the imposition of “harsh” penalties on the 18 erring policemen, who were disarmed and reassigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

For his part, Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office, warned city police personnel against sleeping or drinking while at work.

Ebreo, in a media interview, said that a team led by a police official is conducting routine inspection in all stations to monitor and check the attendance and duties of the personnel.

Policemen deployed on the streets are also being tracked to ensure that they are not neglecting their duties, he added.

Ebreo said any policeman caught committing such offenses will be held liable administratively.

Last month, the PRO recommended the 50-day suspension of six personnel from BCPO who were caught by a police official sleeping while rendering their duties in a police station during the time of Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, former acting city director of BCPO.

The BCPO lodged an administrative case against them, which was forwarded to the regional office, but the policemen filed a motion for reconsideration.

Gorero said the investigation is ongoing.