More than 8,000 erring cops sanctioned since 2016 – PNP

Some 8,440 erring police officers were slapped with administrative sanctions since 2016 under the Philippine National Police's (PNP) internal cleansing program.

PNP spokesman Col. Bernard Banac, said from January 2016 to February 28, 2019, a total of 2,528 policemen were dismissed from the service, 4,511 were suspended, 601 were reprimanded, 507 were demoted in rank, 34 placed under restriction, and 58 had their privileges withheld.

Banac said this is proof that the PNP is serious in weeding out rogue cops from their roster.

"We are the ones who are implementing laws against illegal drugs and then we see police officers actually involved in illegal drugs. That's not allowed because that is embarrassing for the PNP," he told reporters.

But Banac assured these erring cops were accorded due process in their cases.

Of the 2,528 dismissed police

officers, 441 were involved in illegal drug activities; 322 tested positive for illegal drugs; while 119 others were involved in illegal drug-related cases either as a protector or user.

The 119 involved in illegal drug activities were tagged by arrested drug suspects while some were caught in the act.

On Thursday evening, elements of the National Capital Region Police Office's Regional Special Operations Unit (NCRPO-RSOU), Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, and MPD Station 4 arrested Pat. Ferdinand Cruz Rafael in a buy-bust operation after two weeks of surveillance. A hidden camera in the drug den which Rafael frequents in the corner of Calabasita and Calabash streets, Barangay 539 in Manila showed him sniffing shabu with two other men.

Rafael, 52 is assigned at the District Administrative Holding Unit of the Manila Police District. Recovered from him were 10 sachets of shabu with an estimated street-value of 1102,000, a weighing scale, drug paraphernalia, and 11,000 marked money used in the sting.

Rafael joined the police force in 1995 but went on AWOL a year after. He was reinstated in 2002 and assigned to Caloocan Police before he was transferred to the Traffic Sector 8 of MPD-DAHU.

Rafael received a blow to the head from MPD director Police Brigadier General Vicente Danao, Jr. after Rafael did not know who the MPD chief was or the name of his immediate superior when asked by NCRPO chief Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar during his arrest.

Character flaw

"We are strict in the process of recruitment but it cannot be denied that there are recruits who can pass the interview and neuropsychiatric test. When it comes to the service, they can be exposed to biting the temptation, in which we can see the weakness of their values and character," he said.

Banac said the PNP is doing everything to change the negative mindset or behavior of police scalawags through counseling, leadership seminars, and Bible study, among others.

PNP Chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, warned all police personnel that he would never tolerate illegal acts or wrongdoings committed by anyone

within their ranks.

"When a recruit takes his oath as a professional police officer, he automatically loses or waives some of his rights in favor of organizational discipline, duties and responsibilities. So, being scolded, reprimanded, bawled out, or dressed down for misdemeanor, misconduct or commission of crime is just part and parcel of his life being in the uniformed service," Albayalde said in a statement.

He also reiterated that the PNP is serious in enforcing culture change and character transformation among police officers.

“We continue to ask for the media's help because this way, we can emphasize that we are true and serious in our drive in wiping out scalawags within our ranks," Albayalde said in Filipino.

"This is a stern warning to all PNP personnel. We will be adding more teeth to our campaign against those rogues and scalawags among our ranks. We will not hesitate to relieve any official from their posts should any incident like this extortion and robbery case would happen again," he added.

Albayalde previously said that newly-recruited police officers would undergo Special Action Forces training as a way of discipline. (PNA and Ria Fernandez)