By Aaron Recuenco
So near, yet no more.
Sixteen police recruits who were supposed to graduate and formally join the Metro Manila police force on Monday ended up facing dismissal over viral photos and videos of their drinking session inside their dormitory in a police camp.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa
The incident also caused the relief of the entire personnel of the Regional Training Group of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), according to Gen. Archie Gamboa, chief of the Philippine National Police.
"There were 16 recruits who misbehaved and I promised them they are not going to get any appointment in the PNP," said Gamboa.
"They will get terminated because they have not started, yet they did something like that," he added.
Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said they have already launched an investigation on the incident.
"While the investigation is on-going and pending for the convening of Academic Board and due process, these police trainees are temporarily held in abeyance and not included in the list of Graduates," said Sinas.
The graduation was held on Monday.
In the past days, pictures and videos circulated in the social media showing police trainees engaging in a drinking session inside their dormitory.
Sinas explained that what the trainees did was in violation of their rules and regulations.
“We want to ensure a strong sense of foundation for our future law enforcers that will become a remarkable contribution to the quality of service the PNP has to offer to the Filipino people. The new breed of Metro Cops should not only be physically fit, emotionally balanced, mentally sharp, morally upright but most of all, perpetually disciplined," said Sinas.
He said all the 16 police trainees have been identified. They are now the subject of the fact-finding investigation.
“As the NCRPO commits on the continuous implementation of Internal Cleansing Program of our Chief, PNP, this should serve as a lesson and a precautionary tale for all - that delinquency and misconduct will never be tolerated under my watch,” said Sinas.