Bounty offered on rogue policemen
DUTERTE GIVES ERRANT OFFICERS 48 HOURS TO SURRENDER, SAYS HE WOULD RATHER SEE THEM DETAINED ALIVE
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced a bounty of five million pesos (Dh344,479) per head for any police officer involved in the drug trade or other illegal activities.
Speaking at a political event on Friday, at the SMX Convention Centre in Pasay City, Duterte said misconduct involving a tiny fraction of the country’s more than 160,000 police officers was tarnishing the image of the entire institution, making it difficult for the service to establish people.
“I think those who are engaged in kidnappings, whether it’s the ninja police or the scallywags, I will now raise the amount to 5 million pesos per ninja cop,” Duterte said, using local slang for rogue policemen involved in drug shakedowns, kidnapping, drug trafficking, illegal gambling protection rackets and other illegal activities.
He said he preferred to see the rogue policemen being brought to him alive, while adding that he was giving errant officers 48 hours to give themselves up.
Duterte’s announcement comes amid reports that some credibility with the ■ policemen, who have already been placed on the watch list of those involved in illegal drugs and extortion, continue commit atrocities.
“If you do not reform, I will put up another one million pesos [bounty] per month until the time your wife would find a boyfriend to kill you,” the president jokingly said.
According to national police spokesperson Senior Supt. Benigno Durana Jr some 400 personnel from various law enforcement agencies have been dismissed from the service for drug-related offences.
The police spokesperson said during the “Real Numbers” press briefing in Malacanang on Friday that, 267 personnel have been sacked over drug use and 95 personnel for other drugrelated to offences.
“This alone will more or less communicate to the public that we do not tolerate misfits and scallywags in our campaign against illegal drugs,” according to him.
Corruption has been a concern within the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP) since its inception during the 1990s, with allegations rife that recruits are taken on the basis of patronage.
For this reason, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde launched what is said to be a “foolproof system” of screening police recruits free from “human intervention” of influence peddlers.