Mindanaotoday.com | Over 100 NorMin cops face admin cases: PNP-10
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A total of 176 police officers in the Northern Mindanao region have faced administrative cases within the calendar year of 2022, of which 132 cases have already been resolved, a high-ranking police official said on Saturday, January 21.
The said data is based on the Internal Cleansing Program of the Philippine National Police (PNP), where of the 132 resolved cases in the region, only 43 of which had incurred penalties, said Major Joann Navarro, Police Regional Office 10 (PRO-10) spokesperson in a phone interview.
Of the 43 police personnel who had incurred penalties, 24 of them had faced suspension, ten were being reprimanded, two police officers had one-rank demotion and a total of seven cops were dismissed from the service, of which three were involved in illegal drugs.
On the other hand, the remaining 89 resolved cases were tagged as dismissed, Navarro said, due to lack of evidence.
The PRO-10 spokesperson explained that among the administrative cases filed were mostly in relation to the duty as police officers pertaining to the conduct of the police operations and on the aspect of command responsibility.
“If they have personnel who have been involved, let’s say in illegal drugs, that is part of the investigation if there are lapses on the part of the official,” Navarro said in vernacular.
She added there were also administrative cases filed because of personal violation of the law.
“They also have personal or violation in our law. Like, some of them have faced RA 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004). That is a criminal case and since they are police officers, it has a corresponding administrative case,” Navarro said in mixed English and vernacular.
Given the said number of administrative cases filed, Navarro said it will give an implication that the disciplinary authorities are doing their job when it comes to the PNP’s internal cleansing program.
All police units are being urged to consistently conduct Police Information and Continuing Education (PICE) prior to any police operations in order to remind the personnel when it comes to the procedures.
This is also to ensure not to commit any human rights violation and to implement what exactly in the rule of law. (MT)
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