Noy reinstates dismissed PNPA director

MANILA, Philippines - The director of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in Silang, Cavite who was sacked by the leadership of Philippine Public Safety College (PSSC) has reassumed his post on orders of President Aquino.

Chief Superintendent Noel Constantino, along with his 48 police training staff, returned to their assignments at Camp Castañeda with a presidential directive to conduct a probe on the reported graft and corruption allegedly being committed by some PPSC officials running the country’s lone police academy.

“Me and my staff were ordered back to the PNPA with a specific directive to conduct a probe on the graft and corrupt practices committed by some PPSC officials,” Constantino said.

The presidential directive, coursed through the Department of the Interior and Local Governments and the Philippine National Police (PNP), also covers the reinstatement of 190 police trainers at the Philippine National Training Institute (PNTI) at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna.

PPSC president Ruben Platon sacked Constantino without prior coordination with the DILG and the PNP leadership last Sept. 27.

Platon said Constantino’s six-month term had expired and under the PPSC rule, he must be replaced as prescribed.

But PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima, sensing something fishy over Constantino’s ouster from the PNPA, ordered the recall of all police teaching staff and trainers at the police academy and those assigned at PNTI.

Constantino questioned before the news media the motive behind his relief and attributed his ouster to his campaign of eradicating financial anomalies in the academy.

Constantino also said that the corruption is so massive that even the pay and allowances of cadets have been appropriated by some people in the academy.