Panel completes evaluation of resigned cops

MANILA, Philippines — More than two months after it was formed, the five-man advisory committee has completed its evaluation of ranking police officials who submitted courtesy resignations.

“We wrapped up our reports and recommendations,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told reporters in a Viber message yesterday.

The panel headed by Azurin has drafted a report containing the findings and recommendations, which it will submit to the National Police Commission (Napolcom) chaired by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos for final review.

The Napolcom will then present the report to President Marcos for approval.

PNP public information officer Col. Redrico Maranan, the advisory committee’s spokesman, said a total of 953 generals and colonels who submitted individual letters of resignation were evaluated and screened.

At least 917 of these officers were cleared of involvement in illegal drugs.

“This report is the result of painstaking hard work that speaks well of the objectivity, fairness and integrity of the entire process,” Maranan said in a statement.

Azurin and panel members Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, ex-defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, retired police general Isagani Nerez and former Court of Appeals associate justice Melchor Sadang met eight times since they first convened last February.

The PNP chief was mum when asked how many police officials they recommended to be removed from the organization, stressing that Marcos has the final say on the matter.

The PNP’s third level officers submitted their courtesy resignations in response to Abalos’ call to weed out police scalawags with suspected links to illegal drugs.

Abalos and Azurin have been at odds after the former accused 10 police officials of involvement in an alleged cover-up to protect dismissed master sergeant Rodolfo Mayor Jr., whose lending firm office yielded 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion in Tondo, Manila in October last year.

Choose carefully

Azurin, who is set to retire on Monday when he turns 56, said President Marcos should carefully choose the next leader of the 228,000-strong PNP and not base his decision on the recommendations of people who are pushing for their own candidates.

In an unsolicited advice, he urged Marcos to exercise discernment in choosing his successor after the PNP unmasked several police officials who were involved in the illegal drug trade.

“I pray that our President would really have the discernment to choose what is the most right thing to do to choose my replacement,” he told reporters in an ambush interview on the sidelines of his command visit at the Police Regional Office 1 in San Fernando City, La Union yesterday.

“I just reminded the President ‘Sir, choice mo dapat, hindi choice ng kung sino-sino (the next Chief PNP should be your choice and not just someone else’s choice), not even my choice.’ The President’s choice,” he added.

Earlier, Abalos said he would be recommending one ranking police general whom he did not identify as the next PNP chief.