53 'sleeping and drunken' Metro policemen relieved

At least 53 policemen, five of them officers, caught on video sleeping on the job or drinking liquor inside police stations were meted stiff disciplinary sanctions by the PNP National Capital Regional Police Office last February.

Metro Manila police director Chief Superintendent Edgar Aglipay immediately ordered station commanders of the erring policemen to discipline them or they themselves would be relieved from their posts.

Those found guilty of drinking liquor inside police stations were transferred to the NCRPO Regional Mobile Group (RMG) while those sleeping on the job were transferred to the anti-riot group of their respective districts.

Aglipay's deputy for administration and concurrent head of the Regional Investigation and Intelligence Committee (RIIC), Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez, said the Western Police District (WPD) registered the most number of personnel found sleeping and drunk while on duty with 33 cops. The 20 others were from the four other police districts.

Fernandez said his men, armed with video cameras are making rounds of the five police districts from 12 midnight to 4 a.m., which the NCRPO tagged as a crime-prone period.

"Our main concern is their state of alertness or preparedness. We are dismayed to see cops sleeping or drinking inside police precincts," Fernandez told The STAR in an interview.

Fernandez cited members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the Central Police District (CPD), caught by RIIC operatives in their pajamas instead of their uniforms.

"They are supposed to be SWAT members so they must be ready to respond to any contingency on short notice. So they must be in complete battle gear while on duty," said Fernandez.

Yesterday at NCRPO headquarters in Bicutan, Taguig, Aglipay said Metro Manila residents appear satisfied with the improved police image, as of February.

He urged the five police district directors and 37 station commanders to motivate their men to do their job and minimize crimes, especially bank robberies.

Chief Superintendent Francisco Zubia, concurrent head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and operations chief of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) and Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, PAOCTF deputy chief, reminded the policemen of the policies and guidelines of the PNP.

Zubia asked them not to hesitate to coordinate with his office in operations against bigtime robbery syndicates and other big-time crimes.