Close to 600 ranking police officers have filed their courtesy resignations so far in answer to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos’ appeal, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said Monday.
“As of yesterday, we were able to account more or less 500 to close to 600, as reported ng mga different regions, different units namin,” Azurin said in a press briefing.
“Bale, ‘yung iba dito is enroute na papunta dito sa national headquarters because sila ang magko-collate lahat and then ipapasa ‘yan doon sa five-man committee that will be formed by no less than our commander-in-chief,” he added.
(Some of them are enroute here to our national headquarters because they will collate everything and these will be passed to our five-man committee that will be formed by no less than our commander-in-chief.)
Last week, Abalos appealed to police generals and full colonels to submit their courtesy resignation as part of the government’s efforts to rid the police force of officers involved in the illegal drug trade.
According to Azurin, the PNP is still expecting to receive around 456 resignations. He said they are expecting a total of 956 officials to file their courtesy resignations.
Meanwhile, asked if he will still be included in the investigation after his retirement in April this year, Azurin said, “Definitely.”
“Definitely, hangga’t hindi ako na-clear [as long as I am not cleared],” he said.
5-member panel
A five-member committee will be formed the screen the resignation and this would include Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, a retired police general.
“As to the other members, I am not yet privy or I do not have any idea kung natawagan na sila at in-accept na sila [if they’ve already been informed or if they’ve accepted the offer],” Azurin said.
Azurin said PNP demands the fairness and professionalism from the panel.
“Because, gaya nga ng sinabi natin [as I’ve said before], we are talking here of the career of senior officers ng PNP who worked very hard in the last 30 years or more of their service,” he said.
