Fate of 953 ‘resigned’ cops known today

MANILA, Philippines — In or out, the fate of 953 police generals and colonels who tendered their courtesy resignations will be known today as Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos releases the results of the review process to cleanse the Philippine National Police (PNP) of top-ranked scalawags in uniform.

“The Secretary will provide updates on the findings of the five-man advisory body tasked to review and evaluate the courtesy resignations of high-ranking officials,” Abalos’ office said in a media advisory yesterday.

Last Thursday, Abalos said that the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which he chairs, will review the recommendation of the five-man panel.

“I just want to reassure the public that we will make sure that there will really be a house cleansing, but we also want to make sure all legalities are observed here,” Abalos had said of the Marcos administration’s commitment to weed out PNP officials involved in the illegal drug trade.

Earlier, former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the five-man panel he headed recommended the removal of two one-star generals and two colonels from the PNP for their links to the drug trade.

It was hinted that all four of them had stints in the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, with the two generals having led the PDEG on separate occasions.

The panel endorsed the filing of administrative charges against the officials before the Napolcom for violation of the PNP’s rules and regulations against illegal drugs.

Aside from Azurin, the other members of the panel were Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, ex-defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, retired police general Isagani Nerez and former Court of Appeals associate justice Melchor Sadang.

For his part, Abalos said the panel’s report was also evaluated by PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., Napolcom vice chairman Alberto Bernardo and other commissioners.

Over the weekend, Acorda said the PNP will study if there is a need to subject junior police officers to a review and evaluation similar to the process imposed on the 953 police colonels and generals.

While expressing that he is not keen on the idea of junior officers undergoing the same process, Acorda said he is not closing the doors to that possibility.

But he stressed that there are already mechanisms in place to weed out dirty cops, such as counter-intelligence operations.

During a forum in Washington last week, President Marcos said he accepted the resignation of two police generals while acknowledging certain abuses were committed in the course of the previous administration’s war on drugs.

Marcos underscored that the drug menace continues to be a source of criminality in the Philippines and that his administration is investigating police officers with derogatory records and evidence of involvement in the drug trade.