PNP chief to SAF commandos in Bilibid: Don’t let me down or I’ll shoot you 

Director General Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief, talks with reporters at the turnover of the SAF Battalion at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Behind him to his left is Director Noli Taliñno, SAF chief. (Photo from a PNP video posted on its Facebook page)

Convinced that his men were not taking bribes from drug convicts at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, has asked the new batch of Special Action Force (SAF) commandos taking over the prison facility to keep themselves clean – because if he finds out that anyone of them has accepted a bribe, he himself would shoot the corrupt officer.

“Kapag you let me down, ako ang babaril sa inyo, kapag kayo ay tatanggap ng bribery diyan sa loob. Is that clear?” Dela Rosa said, addressing the outgoing and incoming Bilibid SAF commandos on Tuesday.

[If you let me down, I myself will shoot you, if you accept bribes inside. Is that clear?]

After all, he said, the SAF is the only unit of the PNP that he could consider as the best, the cleanest, and the most reliable.

“Kayo na ang pinakamagaling, pinakamalinis, pinakamatino at pinakainaasahan na unit ng PNP, he said. “At kung kayo masisira pa, wala na akong mapupuntahan. Wala na akong ibang maaasahan. Lugmok na ang PNP.”

[You are the best, the cleanest, the most upright, and most reliable unit of the PNP. And you will fail, I have nobody else to turn to. I won’t have anybody to rely on. The PNP will really be disgraced.]

“Yung katinuan, yung honesty – lahat ng virtue pinopossess ng SAF. Kayo na lang, wala nang iba. Kaya please don’t let me down,” Dela Rosa said.

[Being upright, being honest – SAF has all the virtues. There’s only you and nobody else. So please don’t let me down.]

At least 300 commandos from SAF battalions all over the country were deployed to the NBP in a ceremony led by Dela Rosa and Director Noli Taliño, SAF chief, at the NBP in Muntinlupa City.

This was the fourth time members of the SAF provisional battalion were reshuffled at the national penitentiary since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered their deployment in July 2016.

Dela Rosa also cleared his men from accusations that the commandos manning the maximum security compound and the so-called “Building 14” housing high-profile inmates had been taking bribes.

The police chief dismissed the accusations as mere “attempts” to destroy the reputation of the elite cops so that they would be removed from NBP.

“Yung mga outgoing, alam ko pilit kayong sinisiraan,” he said.

[You outgoing cops, I know they’re trying hard to malign you.]

“But after my validation, I found out na wala rin naman pala. So I refuse to believe dahil na-find out natin na hindi totoo na kayo ay tumatanggap,” Dela Rosa said.

[But after my validation, I found out that there were no bribes. So I refuse to believe it because we found out that it wasn’t true that you have been receiving bribes.]

He reminded them that most prisoners at NBP were no ordinary inmates.

“Mayroon diyang abugado, doktor, pulitiko. At pinakamabigat diyan yung mayayaman na drug lord. Wala ‘yang ibang layunin kundi siraan kayo. Gagawan kayo ng issue. So dapat kayo ay magpakatatag,” Dela Rosa said.

[There are lawyers, doctors, politicians. And the most significantly, there are rich drug lords . They have no other aim but to malign you. They will raise issues against you. So you have to be strong.]

Troopers at the NBP who haave been replaced will first undergo a reorientation at SAF headquarters before being returned to their mother units.

/atm