First batch of ‘taba’ cops banished to Subic

An initial batch of 81 lazy, abusive, discourteous and undisciplined police personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will be shipped to the mountains of Zambales for retraining in line with a police program to restore the public trust.

NCRPO chief Director Avelino Razon said the names of the errant policemen — dubbed by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay as "taba" cops for tamad, abusado, bastos and ayaw padisiplina –come from the five Metro Manila police districts as drawn by their respective directors.

"We are reiterating to the members of the NCRPO that the directives from the SILG (secretary of the interior and local government) and the PNP are intended to bring about change, reform the PNP and make it more capable and professional. This is the clamor of the public and the time to do this is now," Razon said.

""There is no sliding back. This will not be a ningas-cogon. This will be sustained," he said.

Razon said a majority of the police personnel who will be retrained are facing criminal and administrative charges who went on AWOL (absence without official leave) while others failed twice to comply with physical exam requirements.

"This is a left and right hand effort. We also give due recognition to good, performing cops," he said.

The effort is in support of Aglipay’s campaign to restore the trust and confidence of the public in the police and rid the organization of scalawags.

When he was appointed to the top PNP post last August, Aglipay launched the campaign against taba cops. Affected personnel will be given one month to finish their reformatory training, with pay.

Razon also announced yesterday that the PNP awarded the "wounded personnel medal" to Police Officer 1 Edgar Moscoso of the Pasay City police, who was severely wounded after he was shot several times by four armed men while he was on duty near the EDSA-Malibay overpass last Wednesday night.

On Sunday, Aglipay and Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes will lead the pinning ceremonies for anti-kotong policemen of the Central Police District during the weekly inspection at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City.