MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday launched a summit for its revitalized internal cleansing program through the implementation of a “squad concept”, beginning in Metro Manila.
“I am sure, we are now more than ready and properly equipped with the right tools to lead the rogue cops and scalawags back, hopefully, to the right and narrow path of public service, while further inspiring the good cops to remain as models of exemplary life and service to the rest of their fellow PNP members,” PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde said in his message before squad leaders and life coaches during the summit at the Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City.
Albayalde said this method is more intimate and personal as it covers spiritual and personal aspects, values formation and family matter which he said are among the factors affecting a police officer’s character.
The summit was attended by PNP personnel from the different Police Districts of NCRPO along with their respective District Directors, members of the Command and other officers.
“We are addressing the problem on rogue cops more firmly and with a stronger program that now involves the preventive, punitive and restorative approaches. And my hopes are high that with the Squad Concept, we will finally be able to achieve what the PNP organization failed to achieve in past years,” he said.
The PNP chief also urged the squad leaders and life coaches, to play a crucial role in the success of the PNP internal cleansing program.
“We want to rid the organization of the undesirables, the incorrigible, the irredeemable and hopeless. But we also want to reorient, reform, convert and reintegrate those involved in illegal and criminal activities who are still redeemable to become responsible, decent and respectable police personnel once again,” said Albayalde.
The project will be piloted in the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), which has recorded a lot of incidents involving its police officers.
“We will begin with the NCRPO. Aside from there are a lot of police officers here, there are a lot of police officers committing errors or being involved in illegal activities. It's very understandable because the strength of the NCRPO is more than double compared to other regions. Remember we have around 29,000 personnel at the NCRPO, compared to about 8,500 to 10,000 personnel in other regions,” he told reporters after the summit.
Albayalde added that around 50 to 70 police officers will be sent for moral and spiritual recovery program at the training center of the PNP in Zambales.
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, some 2,279 personnel — including the 711 NCR cops — have been disciplined for various offenses and illegal acts.
Some, 190 police officers were also demoted while 1,378 were suspended.
“There is no warning this time. We have so much warnings already long time before. There will be no warnings this time. If you err, there is an automatic sanction,” Albayalde said. (PNA)
