Bato wants erring cops to quit

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa would rather see erring policemen quit than be reassigned to Mindanao, so that the government would not have to pay for their transport and other needs.

But for Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Año, police officers destined for conflict areas in Mindanao should reform and use their new assignment as an opportunity to earn the Medal of Valor.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno, meanwhile, ordered a suspension of the process of the National Police Commission on reinstating policemen dismissed for various offenses.

“How I wish they all resign. Tell them to do so, so I don’t have to spend or borrow C-130 from the Armed Forces to fly them to Basilan. Resign so I don’t have to look after you,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino after a Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) meeting with Año at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.

He said he doesn’t care if almost 400 policemen would resign, as he prefers quality over quantity.

“I don’t care, I don’t care if I lose men. I don’t care, I care for quality not for quantity. I don’t care if I only have one good policeman. It’s better than having 100 cops who do nothing but cause trouble,” he said.

Año, after listening to Dela Rosa’s statements, said he sees an opportunity for the erring policemen to shine.

“Actually, they should take that positively. In the Armed Forces, that is an opportunity to earn the Medal of Valor,” the AFP chief said.

Año noted that the monthly gratuity pay of Medal of Valor recipients is now P75,000 a month from the previous P25,000.

“What’s wrong with being assigned in Basilan and Sulu? You want to serve the country and the people? That’s the best way. Now if they are complaining, then you can see the quality of these people that you do not need in the organization,” he said.

On President Duterte’s order for the AFP to help rid the PNP of scalawags, Año said the military practices inter-service courtesy.

“For example in the Armed Forces, if we will cleanse our ranks, we’ll do it on our own. The same with the PNP, they created a counter-intelligence task force (CITF). They will just ask us if they need assistance,” he explained.

Dela Rosa said coordination with the AFP still focuses on information-sharing, which means the PNP receives information whenever the AFP has intelligence reports of rogue policemen. 

Sueno’s order regarding  Napolcom’s reinstatement process came following a series of reports that some policemen, who were earlier dismissed, managed to get reinstated in the service.

The DILG chief said the reinstatement of the policemen could be invalidated if irregularities are found in the process of their reinstatement.

Earlier, a total of 167 so-called erring cops who failed to show up at Malacañang on Tuesday had been warned of additional charges.

“There will be another case vs them for not showing up on Tuesday. We will send them notice to return and if after 30 days they fail to show up, these policemen will be considered AWOL (absence without official leave),” PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said.

He also clarified sending erring policemen to Mindanao was not really a form of punishment but part of the rules and regulations in the police organization.

Probe AI report – Leni

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo expressed support yesterday for the move of the Senate to conduct a probe on the report of Amnesty International (AI) that policemen are being paid to kill drug suspects under the administration’s war on drugs.

Robredo urged the Senate committee on justice, which will conduct the investigation, “to get to the bottom of it,” noting that the report made by the international human rights watchdog is a “very serious” accusation.

She also cautioned government officials and the public against making hasty judgments.

“This is a very serious accusation but while there is no formal investigation yet on the report, it remains an accusation,” Robredo, a lawyer by profession, said. – With Helen Flores