Duterte wants drugs, corruption tainted cops out

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte wants a “purge” done within the police ranks to get rid of policemen tainted with corruption and drugs.

“I need to purge the PNP (Philippine National Police)…I want those tainted or those who have records on drugs out,” Duterte said in an interview over ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol when asked what’s taking him long in appointing his next police chief.

“We’ll have an investigation but those tainted with corruption and especially drugs, tanggal talaga (out of service),” he added.

Duterte earlier admitted that he has yet to choose a new PNP chief because he wanted Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to ensure that the police force is corrupt-free before he names its new head.

“I have given Secretary Año the blanket authority to get rid of corruption,” Duterte said in a recent media interview in Malacañang.

“And it is on his shoulder the future of how the police would behave in the coming years — na kay Año ‘yan (it’s Año’s responsibility),” he added.

There are three names being floated as the possible next leader of the PNP — Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

Gamboa current holds the deputy chief for administration post and is also PNP’s officer-in-charge. Cascolan is the incumbent deputy chief for operations while Eleazar is now chief of the directorial staff of the PNP.

All three were recommended by Año.