Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during the press briefing at the Camp Crame in Quezon City on January 8, 2018. (INQUIRER.net / Noy Morcoso)
The Philippine National Police (PNP) would be “harsher this time around” against scalawag policemen.
This was the stern warning of PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday even as he is set to retire from office in three months before taking the helm of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
In a press briefing, Dela Rosa noted that even Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer in charge Eduardo Año has vowed to help improve the image of the PNP.
READ: Año vows to fix police image
Thus, Dela Rosa said, they would remain steadfast in their campaign to cleanse their ranks.
“Harsh na parusa sa pulis. We have been harsh already. We will be harsher this time around. Harsh to the harshest level basta wala kaming patawad, no mercy kami sa mga tiwaling pulis,” he told reporters.
“Sabi ko nga kanina yung apat na nahuli nagpaputok nung Christmas at New Year, I am giving them the assurance na matatanggal sila sa serbisyo,” he added.
Dela Rosa said the public could also expect that he would be consistent with his plans for the PNP.
“You expect me be consistent with what I have been saying. I will walk the talk, kapag sinabi ko gagawin ko talaga and yun pa rin ang aking number 1 priority is internal cleansing, linisin namin ang PNP. So yung ating CITF (Counter-Intelligence Task Force) ay walang hinto sa kanilang monitoring sa mga tiwaling pulis,” he said.
According to Dela Rosa, erring policemen who were previously deployed to Basilan and Marawi City were already reformed, and were performing well.
“Lahat ng mga scalawags as we term, na pulis na pinadala natin sa Basilan saka sa Marawi, lahat nung mga nag-report doon, I was given the assurance of the provincial director na nag-reform talaga…” the top cop pointed out.
“He was proud to report to me that they are working, they are doing very well, performing very well kaya lahat ng napunta doon ay may assurance tayo na nareform kasi yung ayaw magpa-reform hindi na nag-report doon sa Basilan and Marawi and sila ngayon ay natatanggal na sa serbisyo dahil awol (absence without leave),” he added. /kga