By Chito Chavez
The 18 cops from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) caught sleeping or drinking while on duty will be penalized for dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming, and other appropriate charges.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año instructed the National Police Commission and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “act with dispatch” on the case and file the appropriate administrative charges for their wrongdoing.
(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Kahiya-hiya para sa buong kapulisan ang ginawa nila (What they did brings a huge embarrassment to the whole police organization),” said Año.
Año said the 18 erring policemen do not deserve the increase in salary given to uniformed members of the police force this January as they proved to be “a disgrace to the Philippine National Police (PNP)."
"There is absolutely no reason for them to be lazy or corrupt since their salaries have been doubled. But instead of being on their toes in patrolling and apprehending criminals, the 18 cops merely slept on the job,” Ano said in the vernacular.
He ordered all PNP regional and provincial directors to emulate NCRPO chief Oscar Albayalde and conduct similar spot checks and inspections of all their operating units to ensure that all policemen assigned at the stations are doing their jobs.
"I commend Gen. Albayalde for doing these spot inspections personally. Nothing beats leading by example," he said.
On Wednesday, NCRPO chief Albayalde caught the cops assigned at the Maricaban Police Community Precinct (PCP) in Pasay sleeping, and the personnel of Sucat PCP in Muntinlupa drinking liquor while on duty.
The erring cops have been stripped of their weapons and badges and were reassigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Joint Resolution No. 1 authorizing the salary hike for all uniformed personnel.
The lowest-ranking policeman now receives P29,668, a 100-percent increase from the previous P14,834 monthly basic pay.