55 erring cops to undergo reformation program — Albayalde

A total of 55 erring policemen are set to undergo a 30-day reformation program in Subic, Zambales, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday.

The program dubbed as the Focused Reformation and Reorientation and Moral Enhancement for Police Officers in Line with Internal Cleansing Efforts (FORM POLICE) is a month-long training that aims to address the increasing number of wayward policemen.

PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde said FORM POLICE is a more effective retraining program to correct misdemeanors and other less serious prohibited acts committed by errant police personnel.

"Let me emphasize that FORM police is not a punishment, rather a restorative approach of internal cleansing through a continuing retraining program that personnel must undergo to promote our desire to completely reform the organization," Albayalde said.

Albayalde said a total of 5,582 erring cops have been recorded from July 2016 to June 2019. He said the reformation program is being done batch by batch.

The PNP said the crimes or offenses which were committed by the erring policemen include crime against person, crime against property, bribery or extortion, AWOL (absent without leave), irregularities in the performance of duty and procedural lapse in handling drug cases.

Albayalde urged those who will undergo the reformative program to reflect on their mistakes so that their retraining would be fruitful.

"Make maximum use of the time to reflect... huwag lang kayong magalit sa akin o sa mga opisyal dito... you reflect then you'll see... then probably maliwanagan kayo bakit natin ginagawa ito," he said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News