Palace: PNP purge boosts crime drive

Malacañang expressed confidence yesterday that the impending reorganization of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will boost its anti-crime campaign and improve the peace and order situation.

"We believe in the professionalism of the officers and men of the PNP and the reorganization, I’m sure, will have the support of most of the officers and men of the PNP," said Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

He also confirmed that President Arroyo had given PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. blanket authority to carry out a major reshuffle and purge of the police service.

Bunye assured the people that the projected overhaul of the PNP will not set back the government’s total war against organized crime, notably kidnap-for-ransom syndicates and drug traffickers.

"On the contrary, these moves are designed to speed up the anti-crime campaign," he said.

At the same time, Bunye disclosed that the President will convene tomorrow a top-level meeting at Malacañang of all law enforcement agencies to draw up a battle plan against illegal drug syndicates operating in the country.

"The mandate is for the PNP to take charge of the campaign against drug syndicates," Bunye said.

Mrs. Arroyo has ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the newly created Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to submit to her their plan to combat drug trafficking.

The President issued the order as she launched the government’s intensified anti-drug campaign to coincide with the convening of the PDEA.

Mrs. Arroyo noted that most of the arrested crime suspects presented to her by the police committed their offense while under the influence of illegal drugs.

"So drugs are the underpinning (factor) of our peace and order problem," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Meanwhile, disgruntled PNP officials charged that in giving Ebdane blanket authority to reorganize the PNP, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) was just using the PNP as a scapegoat for the government’s failure to curb illegal gambling in the country.

The Napolcom, chaired by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. in a concurrent capacity, has created Task Force Jericho to go after jueteng operators nationwide.

The Napolcom earlier gave sweeping powers to Ebdane to undertake a major reorganization and a "cleansing" of the PNP, including summary dismissal of scalawags and illegal gambling protectors within the ranks in two weeks to Sept. 11.

Ebdane was authorized to reassign or fire erring PNP members without clearance from the Napolcom board.

"We need to have a reorganization, some replacements because we have to have a new team," Ebdane said.

While most police officials welcomed the Napolcom move, they urged Ebdane to be careful and objective in implementing the revamp.

"It is a good move as long as it is not discriminatory and arbitrary," they said.

For his part, PNP Deputy Director General Rex Piad said the Napolcom move was virtually unnecessary since it was already within the PNP chief’s powers to re-assign and replace police officers.

PNP sources said Ebdane was staking his position as PNP chief in proposing comprehensive changes in the PNP ranks. "This is his great chance to prove that he is worthy of being called the current PNP chief," the sources said.

Ebdane gave himself a one-week deadline for his "cleansing process."

Sensing that the one-week period was too short to undertake such a tough campaign, the Napolcom gave him an extra week.

Lina told reporters that Ebdane’s sweeping powers during the two-week "cleansing process" were similar to those of a chief operating officer of a private corporation. He said Ebdane’s expected bold moves would be reviewed by the Napolcom board.

Mrs. Arroyo had ordered the police and the military during her State of the Nation Address to crush "the backbone of criminality and terrorism" which has been scaring away investors and tourists.

"What will be done now is for me to take over, provide the initiative and do it the way the (PNP) chief must do it. It’s my responsibility. I have the authority," Ebdane said in a press conference.

To protect the PNP personnel from abuse of powers by the PNP chief, Lina said the Napolcom would automatically re-impose the current "three-strikes" policy if Ebdane fails in his mission to significantly reform the PNP in two weeks’ time. The policy refers to the three instances a PNP personnel commits a wrongdoing that would automatically lead to his dismissal from the service.

Ebdane emphasized that he sought permission from the Napolcom board to reshuffle the PNP to effectively address jueteng and assign more competent PNP personnel and officers to help his drive. — With Marichu Villanueva, Jaime Laude