‘One-strike policy’ for police commanders tagged in illegal drugs

DILG officer-in-charge Gen. Eduardo Año. Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

The Philippine National Police (PNP) would be implementing a “one-strike policy” against erring police unit commanders who would be apprehended for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said this was among the new guidelines in the relaunch of the PNP’s door-to-door anti-drug campaign “Oplan Tokhang.”

“Ang ‘one-strike policy’ ay ipapatupad naman laban (sa) Chief of Police kung ang kanyang tauhan ay inaresto o kinasuhan ng ibang operating units dahil sa pagkakasangkot sa iligal na droga,” Año said in a statement on Monday.

(The one-strike policy will be implemented on the Chief of Police if his men are arrested or charged by other operating units due to involvement in illegal drugs.)

“Sa Provincial Director (PD), kapag dalawang pulis o higit pa na tauhan niya ang sinibak dahil sa iligal na droga; at (Regional Director) kapag dalawang PDs o City Director o higit pa ang sinibak dahil sa iligal na droga,” he added.

(For the Provincial Director, the policy will be implemented if two or more policemen under him get fired due to illegal drugs; for Regional Directors, if two or more Provincial Directors or City Directors get fired due to drugs.)

Año said policemen may also be charged for serious neglect of duty should he or she fail to report illegal drug activities and personalities in a community.

“Lahat ng mga ito at ang iba pang probisyon ng PNP operational guidelines at ang pagtalima ng PNP sa mga polisiya tungkol sa kampanya laban sa iligal na droga ay imomonitor ng DILG at NAPOLCOM upang linisin ang PNP at tanggalin ang mga nagkasalang pulis,” Año said.

(All of this and the other provisions of the PNP operational guidelines as well as the compliance of the PNP to the policies regarding the anti-illegal drug campaign will be monitored by the DILG and NAPOLCOM in order to clean the ranks of the PNP and remove erring police.)

Año also called on the public to report any abuse of police officers during anti-drug operations.

The DILG OIC said the public may report abuses to the field offices of the DILG, the NAPOLCOM, or the nearest People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB).

“‘Wag po kayong mag-atubili na i-report ang mga pulis na nagmamalabis sa kanilang tungkulin. Sisiguruhin ko sa inyo na masisibak sila sa tungkulin kapag napatunayang nagkasala sila sa batas,” he said.

(Don’t be reluctant in reporting police who abuse their position. I will make sure that they will get fired if they are proven to go against the law.) /je