MANILA, Philippines — Close to 17,000 police officers have been punished under the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) internal cleansing program since the start of the Duterte administration, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.
In a statement, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said 16,839 policemen were penalized since 2016. Of the number, 4,784 police were dismissed from the police service, 8,349 were suspended, and 1,803 were reprimanded.
Of the dismissed policemen, 564 have been removed from police service due to their involvement in the narcotics trade.
The DILG issued the statement amid the public outrage against Police Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, who shot dead Sonya Gregorio and her son outside their home in Paniqui, Tarlac.
Año said the figures on punished lawmen prove that Nuezca will be accountable for the gruesome murder of the Tarlac victims.
“Kaya itong si Nuezca ay tiyak na mabubulok sa kulungan tulad ng mga nauna ng tinanggal at kinasuhan ng PNP,” Año said.
(Nuezca will definitely rot in jail just like others who faced charges and were removed from PNP.)
Nuezca is facing a case of two counts of murder at Regional Trial Court ng Branch 67 ng Paniqui, Tarlac.
The PNP Internal Affairs Service is also conducting an investigation on Nuezca’s administrative case in relation to the Tarlac killings.
Nuezca was also demoted from Police Senior Master Sergeant to Police Master Sergeant over a grave misconduct case in 2014.