Pimentel: Abalos requesting high-ranking PNP officials to resign 'unfair, illogical'

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Wednesday tagged as "unfair and illogical" Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr.'s call for generals and full colonels in the Philippine National Police (PNP) to resign.

"I find that 'call or request' very strange and too broad as it will also affect those who are truly innocent and even those who are outstanding in their jobs," Pimentel said in a text message.

"[It is] unfair and also not logical at all," he added.

Pimentel said the matter should be pursued on a case to case basis.

"Identify the crooked and prosecute them. Those who protect the crooked are 'in conspiracy' with them and should be charged too, under the conspiracy theory," the senator said.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Abalos called on all full colonels and generals, including PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., to submit their courtesy resignation as he expressed concern over the involvement of high-ranking police officers in illicit drug trade.

A five-member committee will review the resignations of the police officers, Abalos said.

The DILG chief refused to identify the members of the committee, but said he is not one of them.—AOL, GMA Integrated News