Nartatez orders probe into involvement of ex-cops in criminal syndicate operations
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. (File photo: PNP)
Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, J., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of dismissed and retired policemen in the operation of criminal syndicates.
The statement was issued after Department of the Interior and Local Government *DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said there are at least 10 former police officials involved in the operation of some criminal syndicates.
Nartatez said he already directed the Intelligence Group (IG) and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) to conduct a deep-dive validation.
“We are not just looking at their current activities but also their possible connections inside the organization. Even if they are already out of the service, they still carry the tactical knowledge they learned here, and that makes them high-risk,” said Nartatez.
“We are consolidating all records of their previous administrative cases to see if there were 'protectors' who allowed them to flourish before their dismissal,” he added.
Nartatez assured the public that cleansing the ranks remains a priority.
Aside from the immediate investigation, Nartatez ordered a reassessment of internal monitoring systems to prevent corruption that may continue after retirement or dismissal.
He said ethics training and anti-corruption workshops will be strengthened while early detection mechanisms will be tightened, particularly in sensitive units.