Paco substation personnel relieved from posts after arrest of 3 over alleged robbery-extortion —PNP

The Manila Police District has relieved from their posts all police personnel of the Paco Police Community Precinct (PCP) following the arrest of three policemen for alleged robbery-extortion, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

"Ngayong umaga po ay isa po diyan sa ire-relieve po ng ating district director ng MPD ay 'yun pong buong personnel ng Paco substation [this morning the MPD district director will relieve from their posts all personnel of the Paco substation]," PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin said in a press conference.

This was confirmed by MPD spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines in a phone interview with GMA News Online.

"Yes, sa Ermita Police Station 'yan. Paco PCP under the Ermita Police Station. Kanina nagkaroon tayo ng send-off ceremony… meron tayo doon kanina na 17. Wala ito kinalaman sa extortion pero kasama sila doon sa prisinto," Ines said.

(Yes, that's under the Ermita Police Station. Paco PCP is under the Ermita Police Station. We held a send-off ceremony earlier… we had 17 policemen affected. They had nothing to do with the extortion but they are from the same precinct.)

He said the 17 personnel, including the Paco PCP commander, will undergo a refresher course at Camp Bagong Diwa for 45 days. He added that it is not yet definite if the policemen will be assigned to the Paco PCP again after the refresher.

The three Paco policemen were apprehended in Ermita last week after they allegedly demanded P2,000 from a driver in exchange for the release of his impounded tricycle.

Meanwhile, Azurin said personnel from other units will replace the affected policemen.

Ines, for his part, said personnel from the Mobile Force Battalion were assigned to the Paco PCP for the time being.

Azurin, meanwhile, warned that other units may face the same fate as part of the PNP's "internal cleansing."

"And there are other units that will succeed sa mga series of relief just to emphasize po na hindi po tayo nag bibiro sa ating internal cleansing [There are other units that will follow just to emphasize that we are serious about our internal cleaning]," he said.

He stressed that policemen should be watchful of the activities of the others in their units.

According to the PNP chief, all cops in a unit should be watchful.

"Bantayan po natin ang mga kasamahan natin at we caution them kung sila man po ay gumagawa ng hindi maganda at hindi naaayon sa mandato na dapat natin, dapat nilang gawin bilang pulis, then they should be out, they should be relieved, and they should be sent to training," he said.

(We should be watchful of our colleagues, and we caution them that if they are doing something that is against our mandate as police officers, then they should be out, they should be relieved, and they should be sent to training.) —KBK, GMA News