PNP vows ‘total internal cleansing’

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. committed Sunday to a sweeping internal purge of the police force, responding to a direct call from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to restore the organization’s integrity.

Nartatez said the presidential directive to cleanse the ranks will be treated as an operational order affecting all personnel, from new recruits to senior officers.

“The President’s message is a clear marching order,” Nartatez said. “We will be unforgiving against the scalawags who tarnish the badge.”

The pronouncement follows the 47th commencement exercises of the Philippine National Police Academy, where Marcos urged the “Silang Paglaom” Class of 2026 to uphold discipline and help rid the PNP of corrupt officers.

Nartatez stressed that reforms will focus on strict accountability, noting that erring personnel will face outright dismissal rather than traditional reassignment or “reshuffling” to other districts.

“Our commitment is to ensure zero tolerance for any misconduct,” Nartatez said. “We are strengthening our Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group to ensure every police officer follows the right path.”

As part of the institutional reform, the PNP plans to expand regular and random lifestyle checks, particularly within high-risk units. The general also cited that recruitment, training, and promotion systems will be realigned to meet higher integrity standards.

Addressing the newest batch of graduates, Nartatez underscored that their loyalty must remain with the Constitution and the public.

“To those who have lost their way, we will find you, and we will weed you out,” he said. “We want a PNP that the public can truly trust without hesitation.”