PNP-IAS resolves 87% of admin cases this year

MANILA, Philippines — The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has posted an 87-percent resolution efficiency on the administrative cases it has handled against erring police officers this year.

In a four-page situational report dated Oct. 18, IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said they resolved 3,772 or 86.63 percent of the 4,354 cases they received from January to September 2019.

The investigating body has surpassed its previous resolution efficiency of 85 percent for the whole of 2018, where they rendered judgment on 3,264 of 3,858 cases – an achievement that was done despite the lack of manpower.

“We are reinvigorated by our dedication to public service, a characteristic that I believe is still a shared value,” Triambulo said.

He said the disposition, especially for drug test-positive cases, averages at one day for investigation, another day for prosecution and pre-charge evaluation and a decision after 12 days for summary hearing.

This timeframe, he added, would ensure there will no backlog of cases by the end of the year.

“We do not have enough lawyers. Our lawyer plantilla positions start at a comparatively low salary grade of 21 which is a very uncompetitive rate,” noted Triambulo, who had wanted IAS to be separated from the PNP to give it more authority to prosecute erring police officers.

Meanwhile, PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa administered yesterday the donning of ranks to three officials who were promoted to star rank at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Ranked up were Brig. Gen. Florendo Quibuyen, executive officer of the Directorate for Research and Development; Brig. Gen. Domingo Cabillan, deputy regional director for administration of Police Regional Office 11; and Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria, the Supervisory for Security and Investigation Agencies chief.

The three were not covered by Gamboa’s moratorium on promotions, which only covers those who are already police generals.

Gamboa said more police officials would be promoted this year due to the retirement of some senior officers in the coming months.