480 Metro Manila cops axed

MANILA, Philippines — At least 480 police officers in Metro Manila have been dismissed from service within 10 months after Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. took over as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

In a press conference yesterday, Nartatez said the figure is separate from over 700 police officers who were suspended, demoted or had their pay forfeited for various offenses.

While around 12 cases involved illegal drugs, Nartatez said most of the cases of dismissal involved police officers who had gone AWOL (absent without official leave).

“Those personnel who ran AWOL, especially those who went abroad, did not return for at least 30 days to over 600 days. Imagine, that’s almost two years,” Nartatez said.

“So we are continuously accounting our personnel. We have been accounting for them ever since the beginning,” he added.

Nartatez noted that the number of erring police officers dismissed or suspended may still rise as the NCRPO sifts through two shipping containers filled with case folders.

“We are checking on the cases one by one. We are trying to resolve them and come up with a resolution, ranging from dismissal and so on. That is why our over 400 cases may still increase,” he said.