Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed hopes that the five-man advisory committee entrusted with reviewing the courtesy resignations by all senior Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel would be “fair, thorough and without compromise.”
“Ako po ay nakikiusap, I hope and trust that they will be fair, thorough, and without compromise,” said Go in an interview in Orion, Bataan over the weekend.
“Ibig sabihin, kung walang kasalanan, nagtatrabaho naman po, suportahan natin at tulungan natin ang ating kapulisan at ihiwalay ang talagang may kasalanan at involved po sa katiwalian ( That means, if there is no crime, they are working, let's support and help our police and isolate those who are really guilty and involved in corruption),” the senator added.
The creation of the five-person committee which will consider the resignation of senior PNP officials stemmed from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos’ appeal for them to submit their courtesy resignations in a bid to cleanse the ranks of the PNP from those involved in the illegal drug trade.
The panel would be led by the PNP's current chief and is made up of individuals who have either worked in the defense sector or the police force in the past. All courtesy resignations will be examined before they decide which ones to accept.
Included in the 5-man panel are Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary for Police Affairs Isagani Nerez, former defense chief Gilbert Teodoro, former PNP second in command and current Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin. An unnamed fifth member is also part of the committee.
Abalos said the advisory body is expected to conclude its review within three months.
At this, Go said he has full confidence in the country’s police force and their ability to cleanse their ranks, stating that while there are some problems within the institution, there are many more dependable PNP officers who carry out their duties diligently.
“Let me repeat, sa mga nasabi ko na po noong nakaraan. Ako po ay naniniwala sa ating kapulisan, malaki po ang tiwala ko sa ating PNP (Let me repeat, what I said in the past. I believe in our police, I have a lot of trust in our PNP),” the senator said.
“Kaunti lang po ang mga scalawags diyan, dapat po itong mga scalawags ‘yun po ang ihiwalay nang hindi makahawa (There are only a few scalawags there, these scalawags should be isolated so they don't get infected),” he reiterated.