PNP chief Gen Rodolfo Azurin Jr. yesterday described as a “success” the call for police generals and colonels to submit courtesy resignations as part of efforts to rid the organization of ranking officers linked to illegal drugs.
“I see it more as a success because even those who are supposedly under investigation, they submitted courtesy resignations,” Azurin told a press briefing at the PNP national headquarters at Camp Crame.
Azurin made the statement two days before the January 31 deadline for more than 950 generals and colonels or third level officers to submit courtesy resignations.
Officials earlier said “less than 10” PNP generals and colonels are being probed for alleged links to illegal drugs. This prompted Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to urge all PNP generals and colonels to submit courtesy resignations.
The resignations will be vetted by a five-man committee that includes retired police general and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. The other members of the committee have yet to be named.
As of yesterday, Azurin said only three generals and seven colonels have yet to heed Abalos’ call.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said 138 generals and 802 colonels have submitted courtesy resignations, along with the head of the PNP Internal Affairs Service, a lawyer.
“It’s a success in a sense that when we started the call, I said this is an opportunity for every third level officer to submit themselves to an evaluation and assessment because they are going to replace us (PNP leaders),” said Azurin.
“It’s a success in a sense that these officers are allowing themselves to be subjected to such evaluation because they know they can serve more…. They want to cleanse (the PNP) so that there will be no problem later on when they are finally ready or when they are finally designated to a position that calls for a higher responsibility or accountability,” he added.
Majority of the 10 generals and colonels who have yet to submit courtesy resignations are due to retire in weeks or months.
As to officials who won’t submit courtesy resignations, Azurin said: “By February 1, let’s see what actions we can take against them.”
In the event these officers submit their courtesy resignations after the deadline, he said: “Maybe we will ask them what took them so long,” adding they were given enough time to submit their resignations.
Azurin also reported that nine barangays have been liberated from the clutches of illegal drugs as a result of 3,576 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted from January 1 to 26 this year.
He said these operations also resulted to the seizure of P273.8 million worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of 4,858 suspects.
