Napolcom to pursue admin raps vs. 2 PNP generals over alleged drug links

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) will pursue charges against Philippine National Police (PNP) generals and two colonels allegedly linked to illegal drugs, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said on Monday.

In a news conference, Abalos said the Napolcom has issued a resolution to proceed with the pre-charge investigation against the unnamed officials, as he urged President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to accept the courtesy resignation earlier submitted by the police officials.

The resolution will cover administrative charges to be handled by the Napolcom.  The criminal charges, meanwhile, will be under the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO), Abalos added.

"We are doing this so that the cases will continue even if their courtesy resignations are accepted," he said.

Abalos said the Napolcom, which is under the DILG, has also accepted the report of the five-member panel tasked to purge the ranks of officers with illegal drug ties.

“The advisory group recommended the following: No. 1, non-acceptance of the resignation of 917 officers. No. 2, further investigation of 33 other officers. No. 3, acceptance of the courtesy resignation, and filing of administrative and/or criminal cases against four; specifically, two generals and two colonels,” he told reporters in a media briefing.

According to Abalos, Napolcom also recommended to the president to accept the courtesy resignation of the two generals and two colonels allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

Marcos confirmed over the weekend that he had accepted the resignation of two PNP generals, but Abalos said the DILG had yet to receive the transmittal letter from the Office of the President.

“We've heard in the media, parang tinanggap niya. What we will do, is we will wait for the actual letter,” he added.

Abalos, meanwhile, said the erring officials may also face criminal charges after former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. filed a complaint affidavit against the two generals before the Napolcom for grave misconduct and grave neglect of duty.

As for the two colonels, he said Napolcom issued a resolution for their pre-charge for the same complaints. Initial processes for both cases are expected to be completed in two to three weeks.

“May nireklamong final sa kanila si Chief Azurin. At ngayon, itong reklamo na ito ay nandito na kayo sa Napolcom, i-precharge na namin. Matitignan na namin kung may weight o wala. Pagkatapos nito, tatanggapin ito ng Pangulo,” he said.

“Aantayin namin ang sulat ng Malacanang kung tatanggapin nila ito o hindi. Pero ito ang importante, maski tanggapin ang resignation, tuloy-tuloy ang kaso laban sa mga ito. Hindi lamang sila magre-resign, ang kaso ay tutuloy,” he added.

The administrative cases could lead to the forfeiture of the police officers' government benefits, while the criminal charges would ensure that they would face accountability for their crimes, Abalos said.

“For clarity, acceptance of resignation is without prejudice to any administrative cases against these officers and will not release them from any liability,” he added.

Under Republic Act No. 6975, Napolcom, under the DILG, is tasked to exercise administrative control over the PNP. It will also review the administrative cases filed against the police force.

The criminal cases, meanwhile, will be resolved by the MOLEO under the Office of the Ombudsman.

PNP chief Benjamin Acorda, for his part, said the investigation would “answer all the questions in the grey areas” in the controversial P6.7 billion drug haul in October 2022.

“Nagusap-usap na kami sa PNP. I do believe that this move, the conduct of the investigation, will somehow answer all the questions in the grey areas. After all these, we will come up with a better police force,” Acorda added.

Last January, Abalos asked PNP generals and full colonels to submit their courtesy resignations as part of the government's efforts to rid the police force of officers involved in the illegal drug trade. — DVM, GMA Integrated News