Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said on Thursday that he supports whatever reaction displayed by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Major General Guillermo Eleazar against a policeman arrested for robbery-extortion case.
“I personally support Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar in his drive to rid the NCRPO of ‘kotong cops.’ His action yesterday was simply a manifestation of his frustration over police scalawags in his unit who continue to tarnish the image of the entire Philippine National Police (PNP),” Año said in a statement.
Eleazar on Wednesday personally went to Marikina City Police Station and confronted Corporal Marlo Siblao Quibete, who was arrested and brought to the police station for allegedly extorting P20,000 from a woman, whose live-in partner was arrested for drugs.
The cash, aside from the P60,000 and a gold necklace already taken by the suspect, was allegedly in exchange for dropping the drug charges against her live-in partner, according to police.
READ: EPD drug unit relieved after cop arrested for extortion
While Eleazar already apologized to the public, but not to Quibete, over his actions, Año said that the surge of emotion shown by the NCRPO chief in front of the cameras of the media was “understandable.”
READ: Eleazar to rogue cop: ‘Sorry, not sorry’
“It was a classic case of a ‘father losing his cool over his son’s misbehavior’ with the goal of correcting it and sending a message to his other children that bad behavior will not be tolerated in his household,” said Año.
READ: Albayalde on Eleazar’s outburst: ‘If I were him, I could have done more’
Año said that he has also directed PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde to intensify the internal cleansing program among the police to rid the PNP ranks of “bad eggs.”
“Let us prove to the President that we are worthy of the doubling of our salaries,” Año said.
“More importantly, let us prove to the public and to the critics that we are on our way of ridding the PNP of corrupt police officers, and that in the process of doing so, no one will be spared — non-commissioned officer or [commissioned] officer — all will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. /jpv