By Martin Sadongdong and Aaron Recuenco
An intensified internal cleansing program against cops who have committed minor and major offenses will be implemented by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Newly appointed PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde speaks during a press conference at Camp Crame, April 20 , 2018. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said that under his leadership, not only cops who are into illegal drugs, extortion, and other major offenses will be punished but also those who are found to have committed minor infractions.
Albayalde said that includes cops who are not wearing helmets when conducting motorcycle patrol operations, investigators who are "too lazy" to assist complainants, those who don't clean their police station offices, and other minor offenses.
"These are the little things that we want the counter intelligence operatives to report to us. Just recently, we have received complaints about investigators who cannot even give a blotter copy of a spot report to a complainant. There are those who complain that investigators cannot respond to crime scene because they have no gas. Can you believe that?" Albayalde said.
Meanwhile, Albayalde has instructed the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to expedite the resolution of cases involving erring policemen as part of the intensified internal cleansing process.
“I gave instructions to our IAS to expedite all the administrative cases of the PNP. If we know that the policemen are really at fault, then we have to be very fast,” said Albayalde.
The speedy resolution of cases, according to Albayalde, is also part of the due process of policemen whom he said are mostly charged with harassment cases.
“So this is not about dismissing or suspending them, this is to afford then due process also because not all policemen who were charged are guilty,” said Albayalde.
Pending cases against policemen usually serve as a stumbling block for promotion, reassignment and even availing of retirement benefits.
Suspension
"These are the things that we want to be changed. These are the things that we want to improve on. If there is one complainant that will report to us cops who refused to respond to their reports because they have no gas, the investigator is not around, the chief of police is not around, believe me I will relieve them and we will investigate them. The minimum punishment is suspension and we promise you that if they do not change as early as now," he said.
The PNP chief explained that public service must be swift, adding that during the early days of his service, they even used their own cars to respond to reports.
He said he has already instructed the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to expedite the review of the pending cases of the rogue cops who are still included in their monitoring.
However, he has yet to determine the number of cops who are being monitored by the PNP-IAS.
Mere rhetoric?
Prior to his designation as chief of the PNP, Albayalde made headlines after he conducted surprise inspections as director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). He found cops drinking liquor, sleeping and not wearing proper uniforms while on duty.
He had earlier said that spot inspections helped him realize the problems the PNP is facing on the ground. But others saw that as mere rhetoric as Albayaldeconducted the inspections just before the retirement of then chief PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
Albayalde said that when he was the regional director of the NCRPO, he dismissed 297 people, almost equaling the more than 300 personnel dismissed by Dela Rosa during his 21 months as PNP chief. Albayaldealso suspended 825 cops before he left NCRPO, demoted 99, and transferred hundreds to assignments outside Manila, including 365 in Mindanao.
"I expect that we will also do it here at the national level. This is not mere rhetoric because I have done it when I was the RD of the NCRPO," he stated.
Keep him informed
At the same time, Albayalde urged police commanders to keep him informed of the situation in their respective areas of jurisdiction so as not to suffer the same fate of Metro Manila police commanders who were sacked for keeping him blind on the crime situation.
It was recalled that prior to the announcement that he would be the next PNP chief,Albayalde sacked the commanders of Caloocan Police and station commander of a Manila police station for failure to address shooting incidents and failing to inform him.
“As much as possible, what I just request from my commanders is always to keep me informed in anything, yungmga significant incidents nanangyayari sa area nila,” said dela Rosa.
Facebook bashers
Meanwhile, the director general also revealed that he has instructed the Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management (PNP-DICTM) to investigate cops who are using social media to express their disapproval for his designation as chief PNP.
Albayalde was referring to the supposed negative comments of some cops on the Facebook page of BuhayLespu, which contains several posts about the PNP in general.
"It is where you will see the attitude of our cops. A cop bad-mouthing their commander? I ordered the DICTM to investigate them because I will summon them to my office," he said.
Albayalde said those cops who were found to have bad-mouthed him will be charged with insubordination and will be suspended.
"If you have something to say to me, we have proper channel for it. We have our grievance committee. Remember, we are in a uniformed service and we have rules and regulations here. We're not just like anybody else who can do anything that you want," he said.
BuhayLespu Facebook page, the PNP clarified, is not being maintained by the PNP’s Public Information Office (PIO). Its popularity records more than 475,000 followers.