‘Why Burn House To Eradicate A Few Rats?’

It’s unfair for straightforward police generals who spent decades in law enforcement to be lumped together with rogue officials in the government’s efforts to cleanse the leadership of “scalawags” involved in the illegal drug trade, a Negros lawmaker said.

“The police officers are also human beings. If they resign due to allegations of fraud, what would happen to their benefits? How about their respective families?” Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves asked during his Facebook Live recently.

“Don’t drag the whole PNP (Philippine National Police) in the fault of only one,” he insisted.

If it were just up to him, Teves said he will “protect the image” of the police and “not drag the whole organization in the fault of only one or two scalawags.”

“I am in full support of cleansing government agencies of undesirables, the PNP in particular in its campaign against illegal drugs. Name names and file appropriate cases against the suspects,” the Visayan legislator said.

Teves is urging the PNP leadership and detractors of the police organization to follow due process and file charges only against those who committed wrongdoing.

“This way only the guilty would suffer and we could avoid tarnishing the name and image of the whole police organization. I am totally against shortcuts,” Teves said, adding the “guilty must be punished and not involve those who have nothing to do with the crime.”

Rep. Robert Ace Barbers earlier supported the call of Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos for PNP officials to step down voluntarily and give the national government a free hand in cleansing its ranks.

At the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), third-level officers yielded negative results in their drug test last week.

In a statement on Sunday, Jan. 8, the NCRPO said that its 72 third-level commissioned officers, which include full-fledged colonels and generals, tested negative for drugs.

“The screening test yielded negative results for all the 72 urine samples taken during the surprise drug test. This was confirmed by a report submitted by the PNP Crime Laboratory Field Office based in Camp Bagong Diwa (on Saturday, Jan. 7) to the Regional Director,” the statement read.

The drug test was conducted after the police officers signed their courtesy resignations.

Estomo said that random drug testing will continue in the region to ferret out drug-using policemen.

Meanwhile, reports from Camp Florendo in La Union said the director of Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) along with his three senior officials, provincial directors of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and La Union, and eighteen other police officials here have filed their courtesy resignations Friday, Jan. 6.

“It is important to emphasize that those who tendered courtesy resignation are not drug users. This would reinforce the five-man assessment committee on their evaluation to be carried out,” he said.

“On the other hand, this may serve as a stern warning to all policemen in the region. No one can run or hide with the continuing conduct of random drug testing,” he added.

Meanwhile, several civil servants also voiced support to the cleansing reform program of the DILG and PNP.

Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua issued a statement saying the measure “shows they are united in resolving the drug problem in the coun-try.”

“It takes courage and humility to ask what he asked of our police, knowing that he might gain enemies in the process,” Cua said. “This is an issue that transcends personal and career rea-sons. We are being called by the country to sacrifice to solve the drug problem that victimizes our countrymen.”

The Metro Manila Council last week also passed Resolution No. 23-01 in support of the measure.

“I understand that there may be controversy and criticism currently facing our agency, and as father of the 227,000 men and women of the PNP, I want to assure the public that we will take these matters seriously,” PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said.

“We are committed to serving and protecting our community, and we take pride in the trust and confidence entrusted to us,” he added.

Meanwhile, reports from Camp Florendo in La Union said the director of Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) along with his three senior officials, provincial directors of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and La Union, and eighteen other police officials here have filed their courtesy resignations Friday.

Brigadier General John Chua, PRO1 regional director, and Colonels Julius Suriben (Ilocos Norte), Marlo Castillo (Ilocos Sur), Jeff Fanged (Pangasinan) and Lambert Suerte (La Union), and other senior police officials assigned in Region 1 filed their resignation with the Personnel and Records Management in Camp Crame. – With Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Jun Elias