Go pushes PNP cleansing

President Duterte wants to stop the quarrels because the PNP is being affected

Enough of politics and buckle down to work.

With this message to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go relayed President Rodrigo Duterte’s wish for the 190,000-strong organization to focus on their mandate of serving and protecting the people against criminals.

Go said the President was dispirited by the recent controversies that rocked the PNP. The developments forced PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde to take a non-duty status amid the Senate inquiry on the drug recycling scheme by his former men at the Pampanga Provincial Police Office (PPO).

“Personally, I like the PNP to start working again and they should be united to boost their morale. Even the President is saddened (by the events) and he wanted the PNP to buckle down to work. Enough with politics,” Go said.

“President Duterte wants to stop the quarrels because the PNP is being affected,” he added.

On Monday, Albayalde announced that he is vacating his post and will be on non-duty status until his retirement on 8 November.

Go clarified that Mr. Duterte did not fire Albayalde but instructed Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to tell the outgoing top cop to consider taking a terminal leave, which he did.

The senator also urged PNP personnel to police their own ranks against scalawags who blemish the entire organization with their unscrupulous activities.

Go said that they should initiate the cleansing of their force as the President prioritized their welfare after he became their Chief Executive in 2016.

“These are the policemen who are not satisfied with an increased salary. They are used to earning millions. They are the ones who laughed at us because they wanted millions,” Go said.

But he said that there are only a few erring policemen still in service.

“Those who can help them are not only the executive department but the police force itself. Please do identify them and file cases against them. It’s up to you to act on your comrades,” Go said.

“These are the people that should be separated and dismissed and they should face charges. To the policemen, President Duterte is asking you, shoot your fellow policemen if they are involved (in illegal activities). Separate them so that you will not be dragged (in these anomalies) because I believe in the PNP and we always in give it support,” Go previously said.

PNP’s Number 2 in Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa was named as officer-in-charge (OIC) pending the appointment of Albayalde’s successor.

Gamboa is among the top contenders for the next chief PNP, alongside Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratious Cascolan, the PNP Deputy Chief for Operations; and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the newly-installed PNP Chief Directorial Staff.

Cascolan and Gamboa are members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sinagtala” Class of 1986, while Eleazar belonged to PMA Class of 1987.

Gamboa vowed that as an OIC, he will focus on the implementation of ongoing PNP programs.

“I want to separate my being an officer-in-charge and my being a candidate for the chief PNP so that I can focus more on the job. I will concentrate on my work because I know the President has enough time to choose who will be the next PNP chief,” Gamboa said.

“Whoever (Mr. Duterte) chooses, I am personally prepared for that decision,” he added.

As the PNP’s number two man, Gamboa, who is a lawyer, headed the Oversight Committee of the police’s Internal Cleansing Program that went after errant members during the incumbency of Albayalde as chief PNP.

According to him, an information campaign on the three-year-old initiative will be launched in the coming days to show the public that the PNP is bent of ridding its ranks of misfits.

“Much has been done already in our internal cleansing program,” he said, also giving affirmation that he will continue with the reforms and policies instituted by Albayalde.

Gamboa earlier mentioned that the PNP’s internal cleansing program is “divided into three different committees: preventive, punitive and restorative.”