Why have 1,500 cops been relieved ahead of the 2025 elections?

Why have 1,500 cops been relieved ahead of the 2025 elections?
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IN PREPARATION for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has relieved more than 1,500 police personnel from their posts.

This move aims to maintain the police force's apolitical and non-partisan stance during the electoral period, as announced by PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo on October 17, 2024.

Key details of the relief measures

Scope of the relief: A total of 1,586 police personnel were identified as having relatives -- up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity -- who filed certificates of candidacy within their jurisdictions.

To mitigate any potential conflicts of interest, these personnel were removed from their assignments and temporarily transferred to different units.

Status of transfers: Out of the 1,586 relieved officers, 1,308 have already received relief orders for their temporary transfers. Fajardo indicated that the remaining transfer orders would be issued shortly, likely by Friday or early next week.

Regional breakdown: The Cordillera region has the highest number of affected police personnel, with 180 officers having relatives running for office. This is followed by the Zamboanga Peninsula with 144 and the Bangsamoro region with 122.

Purpose of the transfers

The primary objective of these transfers is to prevent any misuse of authority by police officers who might have relatives participating in the elections.

Fajardo emphasized that if police personnel fail to declare their familial connections to candidates and are later found to be using their positions to benefit their relatives, they will face serious consequences.

Administrative sanctions

Fajardo warned that officers who do not comply with the declaration requirement could face administrative sanctions, potentially including dismissal from the service.

She said in Filipino, "If they don't declare and it is proven that they have a relative who will run for the elections, and worse, they will use their authority as police officer, they will face an administrative sanction to include probably dismissal from the service."

Ensuring fair elections

The PNP's proactive measures underscore their commitment to conducting fair and transparent elections, free from any undue influence by law enforcement personnel.

By implementing these reliefs, the PNP aims to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that all candidates have a level playing field during the upcoming elections. (SunStar Philippines)

*** This article was made with the help of an automated editorial system.

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