PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez. SCREENGRAB FROM PNP PIO VIDEO.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking into information about the involvement of some police generals in corruption and illegal drugs but its chief said the PNP has yet to find evidence to support the claims of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Outgoing PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez revealed that he has sent a team of anti-illegal drugs policemen to Visayas to probe details linking generals to corrupt activities and illegal drug trade.
“We have not found any evidence yet that will support the information about the involvement of active generals (in corruption and drugs),” Marquez told reporters at Camp Crame after the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.
“But we have raw information before so as a matter of fact we deployed special teams ng (of) AIDG (Anti-Illegal Drugs Group) in Visayas but until now, the work is in progress,” he added.
Marquez, who will soon be replaced by Duterte’s pick, Chief Supt. Ronald Dela Rosa, said the PNP’s Intelligence Group has been investigating tips from concerned citizens.
READ: Duterte taps Dela Rosa as next PNP chief
“A big part of our campaign against drugs is the internal cleansing—one of the major deliverables of an organization,” he said.
This was after Duterte challenged three supposedly corrupt generals, whom he did not name, to resign from their posts or else he would name them in public.
READ: Duterte warns 3 ‘corrupt’ PNP officers: Resign or be humiliated
“Corruption must stop. I would have to ask about three generals diyan sa (there at) (Camp) Crame to resign. Do not wait for me to name you in public because I will only humiliate you,” Duterte said before thousands of his supporters during his victory party in Davao City last Saturday.
However, Marquez explained that they cannot force the high-ranking officials to resign because the PNP has a process to follow, which could be a dismissal, in removing unscrupulous cops.
He also assured that the PNP has been “very aggressive” in its campaign against illegal drugs.
“Our attention was slightly diverted during the election this first semester but you can see that we have been very aggressive in our campaign against illegal drugs,” he said. RAM/rga