Albayalde to ‘rogue cops’ undergoing retraining: Pray and reflect, gentlemen

PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The second batch of the more than 5,000 police officers facing administrative cases on Tuesday started undergoing a 30-day refresher training in a bid of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to cleanse its ranks of scalawags.

The second batch, composed of 55 officers, are those who showed tardiness, discourteous, and other light offenses while on duty that do not merit dismissal from the police service, PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said in a press briefing.

On their first day of undergoing the Focused Reformation, Reorientation, and Moral Enhancement for Police Officers in Line with Internal Cleansing Efforts (Form Police), the delegates received a lengthy lecture from Albayalde, who advised them to reflect on their mistakes instead of resenting him and other ranking officials for initiating the training for them.

“You reflect, gentlemen. Huwag lang kayo magalit sa akin or sa mga opisyal dito o sa PNP. You reflect, and then you’ll see. You pray, you reflect, then probably maliwanagan kayo kung bakit natin ginagawa nito, kung bakit tayo nagkakamali, kung bakit natin kailangan gawin ito,” he told delegates at the PNP gymnasium at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

(You reflect, gentlemen. Don’t just get angry at me or to the officials here or the PNP. You reflect, and you’ll see. You pray, reflect, and probably you will be enlightened why we are doing this, why we sometimes commit mistakes, and why we need to do this training.)

During his speech, Albayalde also expressed frustration that despite the intensified internal cleansing program being implemented by the PNP, some scalawag officers still manage to taint the image of the police force.

PNP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the officers are set to go to the PNP Training Service – School for Values and Leadership at the Subic Bay Freeport also on Tuesday, where they will undergo the program.

While they are at the facility, the police officers will go through physical training and lectures hosted by PNP officials and volunteers from religious sectors, said Banac. Their cellphones will be surrendered to facilitators every morning and will be returned only at night for the next 30 days so they can focus on the daily activities.

He said that policemen with the rank of lieutenant colonel and a captain are the top two officers with the highest ranks who are among the delegates.

The second batch follows the first set composed of 53 officers who have finished the program in July.

READ: 53 ‘erring’ cops complete internal cleansing program in Subic

According to Albayalde, all of the 5,582 police officers facing administrative cases since July 2016 until June 20, 2019 will undergo the refresher course.

“This is the best time for you to pray and reflect. This is the best time for you to become a better person probably, or a better police officer,” he told the officers. /jpv

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