360 police officers punished
THE POLICE Regional Command XI has punished 360 erring police officers in the past two years.
This year alone, four ranking officers and 43 other non-commissioned officers were admonished after they were found guilty of administrative charges filed against them.
Brig. Gen. Filmore Escobal, the newly installed Regional Director, vowed to continue cleaning his command of undesirable officers.
Escobal said 360 officers in the region were penalized from July 2017 up to Oct. 23, 2019 from the time of Brig. Gen. Manuel Gaerlan up to Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales.
Records from the PRODavao’s Discipline Law and Order Section (DLOS) and the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) XI show that 61 of those found guilty were dismissed from service, 21 were demoted, 221 were suspended, 46 were reprimanded, nine were restricted and two were sentenced to salary forfeiture.
The new police director said 779 out of 825 filed cases – or 94.4% – in the two-year period were already resolved.
“This year alone, there were 261 cases filed against erring personnel wherein 215 of which were already resolved,” Escobal said. The remaining 46 cases, he said, will be resolved before the year ends.
“We are sincerely doing all of these (punishing erring officers) because we do not like to stain the reputation… of the organization,” Escobal said, adding that the Philippine National Police is “now under public scrutiny” due
to the ninja cops issue that even linked resigned police director general Oscar David Albayalde.
“We have to regain the trust and confidence of the community and we do not like the misfits to influence the others,” Escobal added.
Out of the 261 cases, 119 officers were exonerated or acquitted for the charges and 12 others were cleared for lack of probable cause.
Among those charges filed included misconduct, neglect of duty, irregularity in the performance of duty, incompetence and conduct of unbecoming.
Escobal said all those charges officers are given due process.
He said officers are often charged for their “spur of the moment” actions, especially during police operations, where they engaged their targets in arguments, or there are fault in the procedures.
Often, he said, some charges officers for harassment.
In his first command conference with his subordinates, Escobal said he assured that he would “be very strict in the implementation of the internal cleansing.”
“Those scalawags will be dealt accordingly while those individuals who have always performed above and beyond the call of duty will be given recognition,” he stated.
Escobal encouraged the public to call the local police hotline numbers (09985987026), and Facebook accounts (Pulis Rehiyon Onse 11 and Police Regional Office 11 FB Page) to report complaint against erring police officers.