PNP Chief General Ronald De La Rosa. EDWIN BACASMAS/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The 387 erring Metro Manila cops will have to clean first the Pasig River so President Duterte’s tugboat from his official residence to Malacañang can travel smoothly.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa will bring his 387 men to the President as punishment for facing criminal and administrative complaints before they undergo disciplinary retraining.
Dela Rosa said the officers will clear the portion of the Pasig River of thick water lilies that make it difficult for their Commander-in-Chief to cross from Bahay Pangarap to Malacañang Palace while on board the tugboat.
“I’m now ordering the regional director of the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) to have these 300 plus policemen to report here to Camp Crame para sasamahan ko, dadalhin ko sa Malacañang. Pa-formation ko sa harap ni Presidente para mag-start na sila maglinis sa Pasig River,” Dela Rosa said in a press conference on Monday.
(I’ll take them to Malacañang and present them to the President so they can start clearing Pasig River.)
“Mag-linis sila sa Pasig River dahil ‘yung tugboat ni Presidente pagtawid sa Bahay Pangarap to Malacañang, parating nababara doon sa water lily kaya palinisin natin sa mga pulis,” he said.
(They must clear Pasig River because when the President’s tugboat crosses from Bahay Pangarap to Malacañang, it always get stuck in the water lilies so we’ll have the police clear it.)
Dela Rosa said that nearly 400 erring personnel were supposed to attend “values leadership school” in Subic but since the President wanted them presented to Malacañang, he has to bring the officers to him.
Over the weekend, Duterte said in a press briefing that he is “countermanding the order of Bato” to retrain the scalawags in uniform.
“‘Yung retraining, that is cancelled. I am countermanding the order of Bato. They report to Malacañang. Alam mo bakit? Kailangan ko linisin ‘yang Pasig River. Hindi makadaan ang barko doon kasi andiyan water lily. Ipakain ko sa kanila yan,” Duterte said.
(The retraining is cancelled. I am countermanding the order of Bato. They report to Malacañang. You know why? I need to clear the Pasig River. My tugboat can’t pass through because of the water lilies. I’ll make them eat it.)
But the police chief said these cops are only facing minor offenses “which are not grounds for separation from the service.”
He said most of them face complaints of absences from duty and late reporting for work, which the PNP “consider reformable.”
The NCRPO, however, said earlier that the offenses of the cops are ranging from extortion and reselling illegal drugs recovered in police operations, to absenteeism or reporting for work only on payday. JE/rga
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