PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo (PNA photo by Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan)
MANILA – The five-man advisory group tasked to look into the records and documents of 953 police officers in the service has asked the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to subject the 36 senior police officers to another round of vetting.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said on Tuesday that an independent advisory council which evaluated and assessed the possible involvement of police officials in the illegal drugs trade has recommended for the Napolcom to conduct further investigation against 36 senior police officers before submitting their recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“As per info from the secretariat, today po nila naka schedule ibalik sa Napolcom ang report (they are scheduled today to return the report to Napolcom) regarding evaluation of the courtesy resignation of 3rd Level PNP Officers,” Fajardo said in a message to the reporters.
She said out of the 953 total full-fledged police colonels and generals who filed their courtesy resignation and whose records were scrutinized by the five-man advisory council, 917 were “cleared.”
“Itong 917 na pangalan ay ito ‘yung nirekomenda na mga nag-submit na hindi tatanggapin ‘yung resignation. Meaning they were cleared doon sa any involvement sa illegal drugs but with respect doon sa (These 917 names are the recommended ones who submitted that their resignation that will not be accepted. Meaning they were cleared of any involvement in illegal drugs, but with respect to) the remaining 36, I understand they will be subjected to further evaluation by the Napolcom,” she told reporters in a press conference held at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
“It will depend on the prerogative of the President, but for the remaining 36, they will undergo further evaluation by the Napolcom and eventually once the findings will be submitted to the President, it will be the authority and discretion of the President kung sino ‘yung mga courtesy resignation na tatanggapin (whose courtesy resignations that will be accepted),” she said.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. earlier called on all full-fledged police colonels and generals to file their courtesy resignation in a bid to weed out the police organization of erring members, especially those involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Abalos’ move stemmed from the arrest of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. during a drug operation in Manila in October 2022 which yielded over a ton of shabu.
Following the arrest of Mayo, who was dismissed from the police service in March, they found that there is a bigger problem in the police organization which is one of the leading government agencies in the campaign against illegal drugs as some of them were actually involved in the illegal activity. (PNA)
