PNP mulls lifestyle checks among its personnel to fight corruption

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) plans to conduct a lifestyle check on its personnel to curb graft and corruption in the police organization, PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan said on Friday.

“We will have, aside of course from boosting morale and welfare of our people we will be coming up with lifestyle checks of our PNP para po malaman natin kung sino po, kung ano po yung karapa’t dapat na gawin lalong lalo na iyong mga matutukoy namin na mga corrupt,” Cascolan told reporters on Friday after distribution of bikes ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“That’s why we need to get rid of corruption most especially in the PNP,” he added, in response to a query of PNP’s plan to curb corruption after President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to probe all corrupt acts in all government agencies.

Cascolan also said the PNP will follow the president’s directive “by the book,” and will strictly implement stiffer penalties against the errant policemen.

“We will also file cases against them if needed, lifestyle checks […] Paano natin masasabi na maluho ang pulis? Well, malalaman mo naman. Magkano ang sweldo ngayon ng pulis, sobra sobra,” he said.

(How can you say that a policeman is corrupt? Well, it is easy to know these things.  You can start by looking into the salaries of police, if it is excessive.)

The PNP’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and Internal Affairs Service will conduct the lifestyle checks, Cascolan also said.

“This [lifestyle checks] will be made by the  IMEG together with IAS so that we would be able to see what’s happening with our people now.  Maganda ang morale nila [police] pero ano nga ba ang kabuhayan nila ngayon? Paano sila nagkaroon ng mga gamit na ganyan?” Cascolan said.

(They have good morale but how about their lifestyle? How did they receive these kinds of equipment?)

Recent records from PNP showed that more than 15,000 police personnel were already punished for criminal offenses, including graft and corruption.

Duterte’s directive came after reports of corruption were raised at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Duterte bared that part of project expenses for infrastructure goes to corruption.

He already ordered Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to penalize people involved in the anomalies, whether from the public or private sector.

EDV