711 Metro Manila cops dismissed since 2016 – Eleazar

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), during a media forum in Manila on Wednesday (July 3, 2019). PHOTO BY Christia Marie Ramos/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 711 police officers were dismissed in Metro Manila over the past three years, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said on Wednesday.

“Pag-dismissal kasi, grave offense yan. Ibig sabihin, grave misconduct so pwede diyan yung mga extortion. Yung mga extortion cases kasi, talagang gusto na nating tatanggalin na yan or they have committed crimes na sa tingin natin violation [ng] Revised Penal Code na grave in essence. So yun yung reasons kung bakit sila ay nadi-dismiss,” Eleazar told INQUIRER.net in a chance interview after a weekly press forum in Manila.

“Otherwise kung ito ay mga less grave offenses lang, or simple offenses, nagre-range siya sa pwedeng demotion or possibly suspension lang,” he further explained.

Data released by Eleazar at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum showed that 711 police personnel were dismissed between the second half of 2016 and the first half of 2019.

On the other hand, a total of 190 cops were demoted while 1,378 were suspended during the same period.

Eleazar has vowed that the Metro Manila police force will be cleansed of rogue police officers.

“Ito sinasabi ko, kakaunti lang naman itong mga bugok sa aming hanay. napakarami na talagang nagsasakripisyo,” he said.

“Pero hindi kami mangingiming magtanggal ng mga pulis,” he added. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)