Gov’t eyes separation of Internal Affairs Service from PNP

The government is eyeing to separate the Internal Affairs Service from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Tuesday.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Remulla said he discussed the matter with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“[N]a probably ‘yung Internal Affairs Unit ng PNP kailangan palabasin, ilabas sa istruktura ngayon ng PNP at ilagay sa kamay ng secretary of Interior and Local Government,” he said.

(That probably, the Internal Affairs Unit of the PNP must be removed from the structure of the PNP and put under the secretary of the Interior and Local Government.)

“Kasi kailangan embedded ang internal affairs sa lahat ng units. Pero ang Internal Affairs Office has to be a very strong unit na may sariling budget na hindi po sakop ng chief PNP,” he added.

(Because the internal affairs must be embedded in all units. But the Internal Affairs Office has to be a very strong unit that has its own budget that is not under the chief PNP.)

This comes as the Department of Justice announced that it will file charges against three members of the PNP in connection with the disappearance of an e-sabong agent in 2021.

“Kaya structurally, meron talaga tayong pagbabago na kinakailangan ilagay sa kapulisan through the amendment of the PNP,” he said.

(That’s why, structurally, we need to introduce changes through the amendment of the PNP.)

The PNP initially reported that the missing cockfighting enthusiasts disappeared after participating in a cockfight in Sta. Cruz on January 13.

Remulla also said earlier that authorities see a concerted effort by a group behind the disappearances.—AOL, GMA Integrated News