MANILA, Philippines — A total of 84 police officers have so far been dismissed from service in just over a month of Gen. Debold Sinas’ leadership as chief of the 200,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).
Sinas himself bared this number on Thursday, saying the PNP has been doing measures to improve the organization, in response to the dare of former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for him to resign if he will not introduce reforms in the police force.
Alvarez made this remark following the fatal shooting by Police Staff Sergeant Jonel Nuezca which led to the deaths of Sonya Gregorio, 52, and her son Frank Anthony, 25, in Paniqui, Tarlac province last Sunday.
Sinas, however, said Alvarez’s statement is his own opinion.
“We have done our best to make reforms,” he said over ABS-CBN News Channel. “Eighty-four na po ang dinissmiss ko from the service for the one month and seven days po na nanunungkulan ako sa PNP.”
(Eighty-four police officers have been dismissed from the service in the one month and seven days that I have been leading the PNP.)
The period, said Sinas, covers November 10 until December 17.
According to Sinas, around 200 police officers in Central Visayas have also been dismissed from service for various offenses when he was its police regional director. Meanwhile, a total of 778 officers in the National Capital Region Police Office have been stripped of their badges when he was its chief.
“So ito po ay nagpapatunay na hindi po ako nagto-tolerate ng wrongdoing. Ako po mismo ang nag-e-encourage sa mga tao namin na tapusin kaagad ang investigation,” said Sinas.
(This is proof that I do not tolerate wrongdoing. I myself encourage police officers to immediately finish investigations.)
“Ganoon po ako magpa-implement. Alam po ng mga kapulisan sa mga nadaanan kong unit na ako, tutulong sa pulis kung gagawa ka ng tama, pero ako ang unang didiin sayo, at ako ang unang magdidismiss sayo kung mali ang ginagawa mo,” he added.
(That’s how I implement rules. Police officers in units that I previously led know that I will help them if they will do what is right, but I will be the first to dismiss you if what you are doing is wrong.)
EDV