Mandaluyong, Pasig cop chiefs sacked

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Deputy Director General Panfilo Lacson sacked Friday the police chiefs of Mandaluyong and Pasig cities after their men were found remiss in their jobs.

Lacson warned that more heads will roll in the coming months if the officers in the field will not shape up. Sacked were Mandaluyong's Superintendent Rodolfo Tutaan and Pasig's Superintendent Raul Medina. Both are now on "floating" status.

While Tutaan was replaced by Superintendent Abrigo Tuducio, formerly the deputy director for Operations, Medina's post was taken by Superintendent Ricardo Padilla who was the chief of staff of the Eastern Police District.

"I relieved the chiefs of police after our video surveillance team caught a large number of their policemen spending time outside of their posts and sleeping in a barber shop near the station on Thursday," he said.

The surveillance team has been created by Lacson to determine if policemen perform their tasks. It makes rounds of all police stations and police blocks.

Lacson noted he asked Tutaan and Medina to "remedy the situation" but they failed to do so.

On Friday morning, operatives of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) conducted a surprise inspection in the affected police blocks in Mandaluyong and Pasig.

PAOCTF found the policemen on duty either sleeping or not wearing the proper uniforms.

Lacson added the two officials were relieved under the principle of "command responsibility."

The PNP chief also revealed that some of his close friends were egging him to reinstate the two officials but he turned them down.

"I told them if we allow these incidents to pass, how can we instill discipline among others. There should be no standard. When I was in trouble, I prayed very hard," he said.

Lacson added he asked God "to protect me from my friends for I know my enemies. "