5-man team screen courtesy resignations of 118 senior PNP execs

PNP photo

MANILA, Philippines — At least 118 senior Philippine National Police (PNP) officials who resigned have so far been screened by the five-man advisory group tasked to do the first layer of review of officers in a bid to purge the police ranks of ties to illegal drugs.

PNP public information office chief Col. Rederico Maranan said the evaluation was done when the committee convened at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday. Only retired Court of Appeals Justice Melchor Sadang was absent during the meeting.

Prior to the evaluation, Maranan said the detailed guidelines for the vetting process had been finalized and adopted during the meeting.

PNP photo

“One hundred eighteen senior officers were processed on today’s evaluation while the remaining more than 800 are set to be evaluated in the next meetings, which were agreed to be done twice a week either in person or through video conferencing,” he said in a statement.

At least 825 of the 943 high-ranking police officers have yet to be screened by the advisory group led by PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

After the group completes its evaluation of the courtesy resignations of senior PNP officers, they will be turned over and reviewed again by the National Police Commission (Napolcom), where Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. sits as chair and Azurin as ex-officio commissioner.

Napolcom will then submit and recommend the courtesy resignations to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for necessary action.

Several legislators, groups and organizations have since slammed this “very radical” approach of the government in cleansing the PNP of links to the illicit drug trade as they argued that it will only give erring cops an easy way out.

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JPV