Facade of the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. Image from pnp.gov.ph website
MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Thursday expressed its support behind Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. who called for the courtesy resignations of Philippine National Police (PNP) generals and colonels.
The MMC expressed its support through Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution No. 23-01, explaining that under the 1987 Constitution, “a public office is a public trust and that public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”
“The Metro Manila Council supports the appeal of Secretary Abalos which is aimed at cleansing the ranks of the PNP of errant police officers,” the MMC statement read.
The MMC is composed of all the mayors of Metro Manila, and is the policy-making body of the MMDA.
The MMC statement added that PNP colonels and generals must immediately tender their courtesy resignation “as a manifestation of their professionalism and patriotism” and to “reserve and protect the credibility of the police organization and remove any and all doubts on its public reputation and stature.”
This MMDA resolution was approved and adopted on January 4, but, MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora told reporters that not all mayors have signed the statement yet.
“Not all mayors have signed yet pero majority na (but majority already have),” said Zamora.
It can be recalled that Abalos earlier made the appeal to purge the PNP of high-ranking police officers that are involved in the illegal drug trade.
Earlier, PNP chief Gen. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and other PNP command group officials submitted their courtesy resignations.
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