Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the final draft on the screening of third-level officials for their possible involvement in illegal drugs will be submitted to the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Thursday. Azurin, who is a member of the five-man advisory group, said they have already processed 953 courtesy resignations of police generals and colonels. ‘We will submit this Thursday the final draft. Definitely the 953 na nag-submit, nahagip naman sila lahat. So some were recommended na na-clear (while) some are still being deliberated,’ Azurin told reporters on Monday. The other members of the advisory body are retired police general and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary Isagani Nerez, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and retired Court of Appeals Justice Melchor Sadang He said senior officers found to be possibly involved in illegal drugs will not be immediately dismissed from service but will investigated further for possible administrative cases. ‘Siguro hindi tanggalin but kasuhan and then mag-conduct ng investigation, further investigation to determine yung kanilang liability or culpability on criminal and administrative but mag-umpisa ‘yan sa administrative case muna. Hindi ganun kadali (They won’t dismissed right away but will be charged and investigated to determine their criminal and administrative liability. It will not be easy but it will definitely start with an administrative case,’ Azurin said. The country’s top cop said the Napolcom will have to review the recommendation of the five-man advisory group for them to check their recommendations before forwarding for approval or denial of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The Napolcom is chaired by Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and includes Azurin as an ex-officio commissioner. ‘Any recommendation by the advisory group will go through Napolcom and then Napolcom will review and then finally they will endorse it to the President for his approval,’ Azurin said, who will retire from the service upon reaching the mandatory age of 56 on April 24. Azurin, a member of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Makatao’ Class of 1989, was appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as the country’s 28th top cop in August last year. Azurin, who has been in police service for over 38 years, is the first PNP chief of the Marcos administration. Officials whose resignations will be accepted would be forced to retire. The mandatory retirement age of uniformed personnel of the PNP is 56 and those who were asked to resign are generals and police colonels, some of whom still have at least eight years in the service. On Jan. 4, Abalos called for the courtesy resignation of 955 police colonels and generals to cleanse the ranks of those involved in illegal drug activities. Abalos said the committee would thoroughly vet police officials and submit the names of those whose resignations have been accepted to the Napolcom for another round of verification before submitting their recommendation to the President. The move aims to cleanse the ranks of officers in the police organization from possible influence or connivance with drug syndicates.
Source: Philippines News Agency