The Philippine National Police (PNP) reiterated that efforts to cleanse the organization of corrupt members were being intensified after President Rodrigo Duterte said that at least 30 percent of the 160,000-strong police force were involved in corrupt activities.
“The PNP is keeping in step with the President and our Commander-in-Chief in cleansing the police organization of corrupt personnel,” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a statement sent to INQUIRER.net.
“Those who are tainted with corruption have no place in the organization and must be booted out of the service through our internal cleansing efforts,” Carlos said.
In a speech before the members of The Wallace Business Forum in Malacañang on Monday night, Duterte said 30 percent of the police workforce was corrupt.
“I cannot cope [with] the present financial standing of the government but I just made it a priority so that I can stop the corruption of the police,” Duterte said.
“Thirty percent of the police workforce is corrupt. That’s my headache, because you don’t have money, you have to deal with them with an attitude,” he added.
READ: Duterte justifies pay hike vow: I can’t run PH with corrupt cops
It was among the then Davao Mayor’s campaign promises to raise the salaries of the police force to discourage them from engaging in corruption, particularly those accepting money from drug lords.
But under the leadership of the equally tough-talking PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Carlos said the PNP will be serious in its fight against corruption, as well as drugs and criminality. CDG/rga