Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered on Monday, Oct. 4, all chiefs of police to start accounting policemen whose relatives are running in May elections in the areas where they are assigned.

The move, according to Eleazar, is part of the effort of the PNP leadership to shield the police organization from partisan politics.

“As part of our commitment to continuously isolate the PNP from partisan politics, I have already instructed all chiefs of police to start the accounting of their respective personnel whose relatives have already filed Certificate of Candidacy or would certainly run for public office in the May elections,” Eleazar said.

“The purpose is to possibly re-assign them eventually in other areas outside the cities, municipalities and provinces where relatives of our personnel would seek elective posts,” he added.

He said the they took initiative of coming up with measures to protect the organization as there complaints and reports received in the past about some policemen actively campaigning for their relatives and intervening on their behalf.

While most of the allegations are not true, Eleazar stressed that these incidents only revealed that police officers may also be subjected to harassments and victims of false allegations.

“This is to ensure that any of our personnel would not be given the opportunity to intervene and likewise prevent speculations and allegations in the future that the PNP is engaging in partisan politics, especially at the local level,” said Eleazar.

The Chief PNP then vowed that the police organization would remain apolitical and will take the initiative of holding any of the personnel accountable in cases of defiance of this commitment.