PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has expanded its one-strike policy to include police commanders who fail to seize illegal logs and run after wanted criminals.
Until now, the policy punished inept police commanders only for failing to stop illegal gambling in areas under their jurisdiction.
Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesperson, said Wednesday that Director General Nicanor Bartolome had ordered the expansion of the policy at a recent command conference.
Cerbo quoted Bartolome as saying the expanded one-strike policy would reinforce the campaign against illegal logging and the hunt for fugitives.
Under the expanded policy, a police station commander will be relieved if another PNP unit confirms the existence of illegal gambling or illegal logging, or the presence of fugitives, in his area of jurisdiction through a successful operation.
“The culpability of immediate superior officers under the one-strike policy extends to the provincial director when three chiefs of police under his command had been relieved,” Cerbo said.
Cerbo said President Benigno Aquino had ordered the police to give priority to operations against illegal logging.
“If logs will fall, heads will roll,” Cerbo quoted the President as saying.
Robredo warning
“With that, we made examples out of key officers in Agusan del Sur,” Cerbo said, referring to police commanders who were sacked recently for failing to stop illegal logging in their areas.
On Sunday, the PNP overseer, Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, issued a warning against local officials in Mindanao believed to be behind rampant illegal logging, leading to flooding and landslides in their areas.
“For me, the primary measure … is to stop illegal logging. Let us stop cutting logs,” Robredo told a forum on disaster preparedness in General Santos City.
Without naming names, Robredo said his department had started investigating five mayors. Two other mayors will be investigated on charges of involvement in illegal logging in their towns or cities, he said.
Eight police officials and officers in the Caraga region were earlier suspended for their alleged involvement in illegal logging.
High-profile fugitives
But no one has been even questioned on the failure of police to arrest five high-profile fugitives.
The five fugitives have managed to evade capture despite a nationwide manhunt and hefty rewards offered to tipsters.
One of the fugitives is retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan, who was ordered arrested in December last year in connection with the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño in 2006.
Palparan has a P1-million price on his head.
Also wanted is former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes Jr. The two were ordered arrested for the murder of radio commentator Gerry Ortega in January last year.
Private individuals and groups have offered at least P1.55 million for any information leading to the arrest of the Reyes brothers.
In May, the PNP recommended an additional P300,000 reward for tipsters, raising the bounty to P1.85 million.
Also being sought is Dinagat Island Representative Ruben Ecleo, who has evaded arrest since April. He is wanted for the murder of his wife, Alona,in 2002.
For Ecleo’s capture, the PNP is offering a reward of P450,000.
Delfin Lee’s ‘ghost borrowers’
Businessman Delfin Lee is wanted for syndicated estafa in connection with the P7-billion “ghost borrowers” housing loan scandal.
Along with his son and three officers of Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp., Lee was accused of conspiring in the irregular use of P7.03 billion worth of housing loans obtained by unqualified Pag-Ibig Fund members between 2008 and 2010, by so-called ghost borrowers who bought homes in Globe Asiatique’s Pampanga housing projects.