INTERIOR and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año ordered on Friday the imposition of “harsh” penalties on the 18 policemen who were caught either sleeping or having drinking session while on duty.
Año said he also directed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) leadership to “act with dispatch” on the case.
“Nagbigay na ako ng direktiba sa Napolcom at PNP na bigyan ng karampatang parusa ang mga pulis na ito. Kahiya-hiya para sa buong kapulisan ang ginawa nila,” he said.
(I have already directed Napolcom and the PNP to impose the corresponding penalties on these policemen. They are an embarrassment to the entire police force.)
On Wednesday, NCRPO director Oscar Albayalde conducted a surprise inspection in several police stations in Pasay, Makati and Muntinlupa, where he found four station commanders and their 14 men either sleeping or having a drinking session while on duty.
The erring cops have been stripped of their weapons and badges and were reassigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
Año said what Albayalde discovered is a “disgrace” to the police force especially after the government has doubled their salary.
“Walang karason-rason para maging tamad o tiwali ang mga pulis ngayon dahil doble na ang sahod nila. Pero imbis na maging mas masipag at masigasig sa pagpapatrolya at pagtugis sa kriminal ang 18 pulis na ito, tutulog-tulog pa sila sa trabaho,” he said.
(There is no excuse for being lazy because their salaries have been doubled. These 18 policemen are sleeping on the job when they should have been actively conducting patrols and chasing criminals.)
Año, on the other hand, commended Albayalde and ordered all other PNP regional and provincial directors to follow his example and conduct similar spot checks and inspections of all their operating units to ensure that all policemen assigned in the stations are doing their jobs.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Joint Resolution No. 1 authorizing the salary hike for all uniformed personnel. The lowest ranking policeman now receives P29,668, a 100 percent increase from the previous P14,834 monthly basic pay effective January 1. (SunStar Philippines)