If it was up to him, Metro Manila’s highest ranking police official would prefer not to deploy his men to New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to guard inmates.
“It’s because the job of the police is different [from Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) jail officers],” NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said in a TV interview on Tuesday.
He stressed, however, that he was merely airing his personal opinion.
Sinas said that policemen were not equipped with the skills and training needed to deal with prisoners.
“But since the BuCor requested [us] to assist them, we have to make do,” he said, adding that his men went only through an orientation, instead of a formal training.
The Philippine National Police earlier ordered the pullout of some 500 NCRPO policemen after some were caught trying to sneak contraband into the national penitentiary last month.
Their deployment was based on a request made in September by newly installed BuCor chief Gerald Bantag to then NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar to provide replacements for hundreds of BuCor officials who had to undergo retraining amid corruption allegations.
But a month later, four NCRPO policemen were caught red-handed trying to smuggle alcoholic drinks and tobacco into the NBP.
Sinas said the four had been charged administratively with grave misconduct which could lead to their dismissal from the service.