PNP Chief Albayalde deploys police bashers to Sulu

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde has reassigned to Sulu the 11 policemen who bashed him on social media.

Albayalde ordered the reassignment after he confronted on Tuesday the police officers who criticized him on the Facebook page “Buhay Lespu.”   

“They have been relieved and reassigned to Sulu,” PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said yesterday.

The PNP did not reveal the identities of the policemen. Among them is an official with the rank of senior inspector.

The reassignment is not a form of punishment but to prevent them from influencing other policemen, Bulalacao said.

“They will be charged for conduct unbecoming of a police officer,” he said.

On Tuesday, Albayalde faced the police officers who bashed him on social media.

Of the 20 policemen summoned by Albayalde, only nine appeared in his office at Camp Crame. Another reported to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management yesterday.

He lectured the policemen and reminded them to air their grievances before a proper forum.

The PNP chief earlier slammed the policemen who accused him of scoring brownie points for berating them in front of members of the media for not doing their jobs when he was still Metro Manila police chief.

He said administrative charges would be filed against the police officers, who could face dismissal from the service for insubordination.

Albayalde said policemen who want to express themselves freely should leave the service. – Cecille Suerte Felipe