Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez (PPAB)

Two co-chairmen of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) have praised Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil for the swift arrest of eight police officers linked to an extortion and kidnapping case involving two Chinese nationals in Las Piñas City.

Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, quad-comm overall chairman; and Santa Rosa lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez, quad-comm co-chairman said Marbil’s move to have the officers jailed and their commander held accountable reflects a strong commitment to police reform and internal accountability under President Marcos.

Involved in the crime were the leadeeship of the Eastern Police District (EPD) and elements of its District Special Operations Unit (DSOU).

“Gen. Marbil’s decision to relieve the EPD director and the entire DSOU reflects a no-nonsense application of command responsibility. This is exactly the kind of action the public has long demanded. Rogue police officers are not just being relieved. They’re being sent to jail,” Fernandez said.

Barbers said the immediate filing of criminal charges and the relief of the entire unit are strong indications that internal reform within the PNP is being taken seriously.

“This is the kind of institutional response we need. Swift, direct, and with no excuses,” Barbers said.

He added that the officers acted like criminals and are being treated accordingly. “At the same time, their superiors are being held accountable. That’s what real command responsibility looks like,” he said.

Barbers, Fernandez, and the rest of the vaunted quad-comm has uncovered the involvement of certain police officers in illegal activities, including drug trafficking, extrajudicial killings (EJK), and the protection of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

The eight DSOU personnel—six staff sergeants, one corporal and one patrolman—were arrested on the night of April 5 for allegedly abducting and extorting two Chinese nationals in a staged operation.

They were presented for inquest that evening at the Las Piñas Prosecutor’s Office and are now detained at the city’s police custodial facility. A ninth suspect, a police major formerly assigned to the DSOU, remains at large.

Marbil also ordered the immediate relief of the EPD director and directed the PNP Internal Affairs Service and the National Capital Region Police Office to conduct a full and impartial investigation.

The PNP chief said there would be no second chances for officers who abuse their authority. He described the incident as a failure of leadership and warned that when discipline breaks down, it starts at the top.

“Let this be the turning point. We want a professional, reliable, and honest police force. If you cannot lead with integrity, then you do not belong in public service,” Fernandez said.

Barbers said he is confident that Marbil will continue applying the same accountability standards to other units facing similar issues of corruption and abuse.

“The war on drugs and the fight against syndicates begin with a clean police force. We fully support Gen. Marbil’s resolve. No fear. No favor. Gen. Marbil is showing the country that such a vision is not only possible. It is already beginning,” Barbers added.