Manila: The Philippine National Police is being urged to cleanse its ranks of rogue personnel, lest it loses its relevance, a senator warned.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, who once headed the Philippine National Police (PNP) as its director general, said country’s primary law enforcement agency risks undergoing complete breakdown if it fails to clean its ranks of scoundrels in uniform.
“This is probably the most unwelcome wake-up call for Director General Ronald de la Rosa. The PNP leadership should lose no time in addressing the issue by henceforth going hammer and tongs against all rogue cops who only care about their personal gains to the detriment of the entire police organisation,” Lacson said.
The PNP had been rocked by successive controversies involving its men. For months the police organisation has had difficult time in coping with policemen and officials involved in drug use and worst — directly peddling or involvement dealing with illicit substances, particularly, crystal methamphetamine, cannabis, heroine or other illegal drugs.
Lacson said the actions of these corrupt policemen undermines the integrity of the whole organisation.
“Seventeen years ago, when I was the Chief PNP, I really hit hard on the inept, corrupt and undisciplined policemen, regardless of rank, or what I referred to at that time as ICUs. My primary concern was to do justice to the sacrifices of the overwhelmingly many honest and hardworking police officers.
“Director General dela Rosa knows that, and I’m certain he knows how to do it because he was one of those at the forefront of our no-nonsense internal cleansing of the police,” he said.
Recently, a group of policemen detailed with an anti-illegal drugs task force had been implicated in the kidnap-slaying of South Korean former shipping executive Jee Ick Joo.
The killing of Joo dealt a black eye for the Philippines after South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se called the attention of Philippine Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay in connection with the reported abduction of a South Korean former shipping executive.
Jee was taken from his home in Angeles, Pambanga by Senior Police Officer (SPO) 3 Ricky Santa Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas and five other people last October 18, 2016.
The policemen who took Jee had demanded P5 million (Dhs 369,021) for his release.
The South Korean executive’s family gave in to the demand of the kidnappers but still the victim was not released.
The victim’s wife called for the assistance of other police agencies and it was found out that Jee had already been dead for a long time.
The victim’s remains had been taken to a mortuary owned by a former policeman, Gregorio Santiago in Caloocan in Metro Manila for cremation.