Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen Benjamin Acorda (right) is escorted by Special Action Force (SAF) Director PMGen Rudolph Dimas (left) during the 40th anniversary of the SAF with the theme “Excellence and Professionalism in Serving God, Country, and people” held at the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) Parade Grounds in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City on May 17, 2023. INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. is considering to reassign Special Action Force (SAF) commandos to the Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), the police force’s main antidrug unit, which is now being revamped amid a string of controversies.
“Whenever there are trust issues, it is SAF that we always have in mind [to address these],” Acorda said during the 40th founding anniversary of the PNP elite unit on Wednesday in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“We do not also want to diminish the SAF force, which is mainly trained and much needed in counterterrorism and rescue operations,” he said. “But definitely we will consider getting personnel from SAF, especially those who have served long in the service and they want to do some changes in their pattern of law enforcement life.”
Previous PNP chiefs also tapped the SAF to help in fighting and preventing drug trade, particularly at New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, which authorities noted as being where all drug networks in the country converge.
More than 300 SAF troopers were first deployed in July 2016 to replace jail guards of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) who failed to stop corruption and drug trading inside the Bilibid. The contingent was replaced with a fresh batch every six months to avoid familiarity with the inmates.
They were particularly deployed to secure Building 14, where the most high-profile convicts were housed.
Then PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said the SAF commandos were deployed at Bilibid since they were “incorruptible” and were among the PNP’s best.
But a year after their deployment, then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II reported the resurgence of illegal drug trading at Bilibid with men from SAF conspiring with the drug lords there.