PNP chief vows to name cops in drug deals

MANILA, Philippines — Senior police officials with suspected links to illegal drugs would be named in public once charges are filed against them, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said yesterday.

“Definitely, once the charges are filed, we will make it public,” Acorda said over Teleradyo when asked if they would disclose the names of third-level officers who submitted their courtesy resignations if they are found to be involved in illegal drugs.

“Our agreement about that is, we will not be making the names public unless the charges were filed already,” he said.

Thirty-six of the 953 police generals and colonels who submitted their resignation letters will undergo further evaluation by the National Police Commission (Napolcom), as recommended by a five-man panel that cleared 917 of them.

The Napolcom, chaired by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, would then submit its report to President Marcos for approval.

Acorda earlier said there will be no public shaming of police officers who are accused of infractions under his tenure, applying the same policy of his predecessor, Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

Meanwhile, Acorda urged junior police officers to report their superiors who are involved in illegal activities, as he stressed the need for a unified approach against scalawags. “If your superiors or fellow officers are engaged in corrupt activities, please let us document,” he said over Teleradyo, while maintaining there are only a few misfits among the 228,000-strong police force.

He also asked the public not to be afraid and instead file a complaint against corrupt police officers. “Report to the police, send the letters to me and I will have these validated,” he said.

Origins

The PNP is looking into the possibility that the 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion seized from dismissed M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., a former anti-narcotics operative of the police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), came from other anti-illegal drug operations.

This is one of the angles the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 990 is investigating, PNP public information officer Col. Redrico Maranan said yesterday.

He said the SITG headed by PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management director Maj. Gen. Eliseo Cruz is conducting a deeper investigation to determine where the large cache of shabu in Mayo’s lending office originated from.

Maranan said the SITG has already submitted its recommendations to the Internal Affairs Service and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for filing of appropriate administrative and criminal charges against 49 police officials found to have committed lapses in the operation.

Included in the recommendation is the conduct of a background investigation on the 49 police officers, including those who were caught stealing 42 kilos of shabu from Mayo’s office. Another recommendation by the SITG is to subject all PDEG personnel to a lifestyle check.

Meanwhile, police were able to apprehend 22,649 most wanted persons nationwide from Jan. 1 to April 21, the PNP reported yesterday.

“Our achievements in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrate the commitment and dedication of the PNP in carrying out our mandate to uphold the rule of law and bring criminals to justice,” Acorda said. — Sheila Crisostomo