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Reformative training awaits 2 ‘abusive’ NCRPO cops

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

July 9, 2019, 1:06 pm

<p>NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. <em>(File photo)</em></p>

NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. (File photo)

MANILA -- Two Eastern Police District (EPD) policemen will be sent to a moral and spiritual recovery program at the Philippine National Police (PNP) training center in Zambales, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Tuesday.

NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said S/Sgt. Nicolas Lapie Jr. of the Marikina City police and Senior M/Sgt. Arnulfo Ardales of the San Juan City police will undergo training to reorient them on the real concept of public service.

"We are all public servants. In the case of policemen, we all know that the moment we took our oath, we are bound to proper conduct and good behavior," Eleazar told reporters.

"Obviously, these policemen need moral and spiritual recovery so that they would fully understand how they should behave, how professional they should be at all times," he stressed.

The two Metro Manila cops are currently under restrictive custody at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

However, the NCRPO chief clarified that subjecting the two cops to retraining does not mean that they are already absolved of criminal and administrative liabilities that may come up in the course of the investigation he had ordered.

Asked when the two cops would be transported to Subic for retraining, Eleazar said the PNP leadership is currently consolidating the cases of policemen who have been recently slapped with administrative cases.

The first batch of policemen who underwent retraining program has already graduated recently. 

On Sunday, Eleazar also ordered the immediate relief of Ardales, who was tagged as the “abusive” cop in the viral video while being investigated for ‘misconduct’.

Ardales was transferred from Police Community Precinct  3 of San Juan City to the EPD based on the complaint of Aaron Estrada.

Based on the video, Ardales uttered invectives against Estrada after the latter tried to put his hands in front of Ardales while the cop was buying food.

On Monday, the Metro Manila top cop also relieved Lapie for beating an eight-year-old boy in Pasig City.

Initial investigation showed that the eight-year-old victim was watching a basketball game at the covered court of Barangay Bambang in Pasig City around 7:56 p.m. Sunday when Lapie placed his left arm around his neck and started beating him up.

The victim tried to run away but the suspect grabbed his arms and pulled the boy towards him.

People attracted by the commotion came to the rescue of the boy and pacified Lapie.

Responding policemen arrived and brought Lapie and the boy to the Women and Children Protection Division (WCPD) for proper disposition.

Lapie would be charged with physical injury in relation to Republic Act 7610 or violence against women and children.

Earlier, a total of 711 erring Metro Manila cops have been dismissed from the service as part of the PNP internal cleansing program.

Based on data obtained by the Philippine News Agency, Eleazar said that since July 2016 up to the first semester of this year, 2,279 PNP personnel — including the 711 NCR cops — have been disciplined for various offenses and illegal acts.

Meanwhile, 190 police officers were demoted while 1,378 were suspended. (PNA)

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