Marcos accepts 18 police officials’ resignations over drugs

INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday  accepted the courtesy resignations of 18 officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) “allegedly involved in illegal drug activities.”

The announcement followed a day Marcos said in his second State of the Nation Address on Monday that he would accept the resignation of “unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade.”

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday that he has accepted the resignation of eighteen (18) Third-Level Officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) allegedly involved in illegal drugs activities, upon the recommendation of the National Police Commission Ad Hoc Advisory Group that investigated the matter,” the Palace in a statement.

Despite Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.’s initial non-disclosure, the Palace revealed the 18 PNP generals and colonels who resigned.

READ: No public disclosure of ninja cops’ names: Let them retire silently – Abalos

The PNP is under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The Palace said President Marcos allowed the resignations of the following:

1.  PBGEN Remus Balingasa Medina

2.  PBGEN Randy Quines Peralta

3.  PBGEN Pablo Gacayan Labra II

4.  PCOL Rogarth Bulalacao Campo

5.  PCOL Rommel Javier Ochave

6.  PCOL Rommel Allaga Velasco

7.  PCOL Robin King Sarmiento

8.  PCOL Fernando Reyes Ortega

9.  PCOL Rex Ordoño Derilo

10.  PCOL Julian Tesorero Olonan

11.  PCOL Rolando Tapon Portera

12.  PCOL Lawrence Bonifacio Cajipe

13.  PCOL Dario Milagrosa Menor

14.  PCOL Joel Kagayed Tampis

15.  PCOL Michael Arcillas David

16.  PCOL Igmedio Belonio Bernaldez

17.  PCOL Rodolfo Calope Albotra Jr.

18.  PCOL Marvin Barba Sanchez

READ: 78% of Filipinos believe there are ‘ninja cops’ in police force — SWS

Amid attempts to remove “ninja” cops linked to illegal drugs and crimes, 953 high-ranking police officers from the PNP made courtesy resignations.

The Palace said that of the 953, the Ad Hoc Advisory Group only recommended the approval of the resignations of the 18 police generals and colonels.

In an ambush interview, Abalos said he has yet to receive an official communication from Malacañang regarding the authorized resignations of the police officials.

“Ito mabilis siguro ito once bumaba ang communication coming from Malacañang. They will just be informed, ganoon ka simple, ‘yung resignation mo is accepted,” said Abalos.

(Maybe it’s fast once the communication coming from Malacañang goes down. They will just be informed, it’s that simple, your resignation is accepted.)

Abalos stressed that their resignations were voluntary. But he did not expound whether the approval of their resignations by President Marcos mean the 18 police generals and colonels were confirmed to have been involved in illegal drug activities.

“It was a request for them to resign. I never forced them to resign,” the DILG chief said.

According to Abalos, the government is still looking into pursuing criminal charges.

“Well, titingnan po natin because ang pinag-usapan po natin ngayon is that there is first a voluntary resignation. On that level – okay. In other aspects, Titingan po natin if it’s really strong enough level for the criminal case,” he said.

(Well, we will see because what we talked about today is that there is first a voluntary resignation. On that level – okay. In other aspects, let’s see if it’s really strong enough level for the criminal case.)

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