Senior Philippine police officers urged to resign to ‘cleanse’ force
If you’re not involved, there’s nothing to worry about... This is the only way to cleanse the ranks in a fast manner.” Benjamin Abalos
Interior Secretary
Hundreds of top-ranking police in the Philippines were asked to resign Wednesday as the government seeks to “cleanse” the corruption-tainted force of officers involved in the illegal drug trade.
Police have been waging an antinarcotics campaign launched by former president Rodrigo Duterte and continued by his successor Ferdinand Marcos.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos urged all colonels and generals — about 300 in total — to offer “courtesy” resignations after a probe found a “handful” were involved in drugs. They could continue working while their records were assessed by a five-member committee. Those found guilty would have their resignations accepted, Abalos said.
“If you’re not involved, there’s nothing to worry about,” Abalos told a news conference at national police headquarters in Manila.
Anyone who did not tender their resignation would be “questionable”, he said. Abalos described the approach as radical and a “shortcut” after previous investigations into allegedly corrupt officers took a long time and produced few results.
It is not the first time such drastic measures have been used to clean up the Philippine police force.
Former president Fidel Ramos cracked down on police in the early 1990s, ordering all officers over 56 years of age or with more than 30 years of service to resign. The chief of the national police and nine other senior officers resigned as a result. The latest plan was recommended by police chief General Rodolfo Azurin and other senior officers, Abalos said. Azurin would be among those expected to tender his resignation while his record was checked, he said. “This is the only way to cleanse the ranks in a fast manner,” Abalos said. “It’s difficult to fight a war when it’s your ally that will shoot you in the back.”
But Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch said it was a “preposterous” move and an insult to the memory of the thousands of people killed in the drug war. “It does not serve the cause of justice and accountability — far from it,” Conde said. “What Philippine authorities should be doing is investigate these police officials and file appropriate charges in court if warranted.” Police officers have killed thousands of alleged drug dealers and users since mid2016, but critics say the wealthy and powerful have been largely untouched. — AFP