PNP internal cleansing continues

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday ordered an aggressive crackdown against erring personnel following the separate arrests of two active-duty police officers facing rape and domestic abuse charges.

Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the arrests in Metro Manila and Mindanao demonstrate that the PNP’s campaign to enforce internal accountability remains firm.

He added that monitoring will be intensified to ensure faster action against officers facing criminal complaints.

The enforcement push aligns with directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla to strengthen accountability in government service and remove rogue personnel from the police force.

“Let these simultaneous arrests serve as a stern warning that our badge and our uniform will never be a shield against the law,” Nartatez said. “The Philippine National Police will aggressively hunt down anyone within our ranks who believes they can evade accountability.”

One of the arrested officers, a police master sergeant assigned to the Presidential Security and Protection Group, was apprehended in Quezon City on Saturday. Operatives from the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) served a warrant issued by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 267 for rape.

IMEG officials said the officer was already under monitoring due to alleged involvement in illegal activities, including drug use.

Investigators discovered the standing warrant for rape during a routine records verification. The court recommended no bail.