Manila: Following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call for accountability within the police force, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has disclosed the dismissal of 19 police officers since Gen. Nicolas Torre III assumed office on June 2.
According to Philippines News Agency, Inspector General Brigido Dulay of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS), which serves as a watchdog agency of the PNP, announced during a press conference at Camp Crame that the highest-ranking officer among those dismissed was a police lieutenant colonel. Other personnel dismissed included non-commissioned officers, an executive master sergeant, a senior master sergeant, a police corporal, and a patrolman.
Additionally, nine administrative cases were resolved, resulting in the suspension of one police officer and the demotion of two others, while nine officers were exonerated. Dulay emphasized that these actions were taken in line with Gen. Torre's directive to maintain a disciplined police force and expedite the resolution of administrative cases.
Currently, there are 199 unresolved cases involving 766 police officers. Among these, 88 are undergoing summary hearing proceedings, 78 are awaiting formal charges, and 33 are still under evaluation. While specific details of the cases were not disclosed, many reportedly involve grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.
Gen. Torre has assured the public of the PNP's commitment to strengthening its internal disciplinary mechanisms and ensuring that all officers uphold the values of integrity, accountability, and public service.
In a related matter, Dulay revealed that several police officers implicated in the alleged abduction and murder of missing cockfighting enthusiasts had prior administrative cases. However, he refrained from detailing these offenses, as the cases have been submitted to the National Police Commission (Napolcom) for resolution. The officers face charges of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, and an additional charge of grave neglect of duty against one officer.
