Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnie Teves doesn't believe that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. agrees with the Department of Interior and Local Government's (DILG) method of cleansing the Philippine National Police (PNP) of illegal drugs.
"Hindi ako naniniwala na ang ating mabait na Presidente ay sang-ayon sa short cut (I don't believe that our kind President agrees with short cuts). I think he believes in the rule of law," Teves said Thursday afternoon, Jan. 12 during a press conference in Pasig City.
Teves was referring to DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos's recent appeal for all top-ranked police officials to tender their courtesy resignations in a bid to purge to PNP of all personnel with links to the illegal drug trade.
The veteran congressman had earlier described the move as "improper and is a smack to the face of the whole PNP organization”.
He doubled down on his opinion Thursday and criticized the appeal made by Abalos, who as DILG secretary is the concurrent National Police Commission (Napolcom) chairman. According to Teves, Abalos's appeal probably sounded like an "order" to the police officials.
"A superior's appeal is just like an order of the subordinate...pag yung boss mo nakiusap sayo, iba yung dating (if your boss makes a appeal to you, it sounds different)...it's like an order. Sa akin lang naman yun, ewan ko sa tingin ng taumbayan (But that's just me,I don't know about my countrymen's view)."
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"And again, ang Presidente natin mabait at nasa tama (our President is kind and in the right). Hindi ako naniniwalang pumapayag siya na ganito, isho-shorcut yung proseso. Dapat talaga nasa proseso ang lahat (I don't believe that he permitted this, to shortcut the process. A process should be observed with everything)," Teves said.