NOW that members of the 5-Man Committee tasked to screen the list of the 3rd-Level PNP officers who have tendered their courtesy resignations to President Bongbong Marcos have been named, I wish them all the best as they try to help cleanse the police force of officials with drug links.

As they always say, these officials need to have the so-called “Wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson, the patient of Job and the courage of David” as they start their job to evaluate and screen the more than 900 3rd Level PNP officials who have filed their courtesy resignations before the Commander-in-Chief last month.

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said that PBBM has rejected the courtesy resignation of Gen. Jun Azurin, the 28th PNP chief and the 1st to be designated as the country’s top cop by President Marcos in August last year and appointed him to the 5-Man Committee since he knows who really should be in, who should be out in the organization.

The three other members of the 5-Man Committee are men of impeccable character and untarnished integrity, all known for their unquestionable service reputation: two of them are my friends, retired General-turned Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong and retired Gen. Gani Nerez, currently the presidential assistant on police affairs and of course, the brilliant former Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro. The 5th member requested not to be named although my sources told me that he is a known member of the judiciary.

Azurin is a member of Philippine Military Academy Class 1989 while Magalong is from PMA Class 1982. Nerez, a lawyer who used to be a Cordillera Police Regional Office director like Magalong belongs to PMA Class 1984.

The 5-Man Committee will have the job of screening the list and recommend to the President the acceptance of the resignation of those who will found to be liable. If all their schedules will meet, the committee could finish their job within three months.

The DILG chief described the courtesy resignations of the senior PNP officials as a radical move aimed at thoroughly cleansing the police force of officials with links to illegal drug activities. “I am definite that this advisory group shall remain apolitical throughout the process of screening and in the end, penalize only those guilty and involved in the illegal drug trade,” he underscored.

As head of the national police, Azurin is also an ex-officio commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom). Sec. Abalos, also the concurrent chairman of the Napolcom explained that the body will amend or trim down the list of top PNP officials found linked to the illegal trade before turning over their courtesy resignations to President Marcos for necessary action.

The DILG chief said that Gen. Azurin had already been screened and that President Marcos did not accept his courtesy resignation, which means he was cleared. “He is needed there as the Chief PNP to also steer the committee. He’s in a position to give, probably, recent intelligence reports, etcetera,” the DILG chief explained.

Sec. Abalos said that while 12 of the 955 PNP generals and colonels did not file their courtesy resignations, technically, only one top-ranking police officer did not heed his call ahead of the January 31 deadline.

“Kung tutuusin, isa lang iyong hindi nag-comply. Why? Of the 12, five have already retired. So that leaves us with seven. And of the seven, six are retiring. If we’re going to look at the figures, technically, only one has not yet submitted their resignation out of 955,” he said.

Gen. Azurin, who will be an official travel abroad this week said he was fully honored by the trust and confidence given to him by the Chief Executive. “I am honored and at the same time grateful to His Excellency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for appointing me as one of the members of the committee who will evaluate the 3rd Level PNP officers on their fitness to continue serving the organization,” he said.

“My gratitude also goes to SILG Atty. Benjamin C. Abaos Jr. for supporting this endeavor and endorsing the noble cause to the President. I know this is very challenging and daunting task, but I see this as a recognition of the trust and confidence by no less than our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Maraming salamat po Mr. President sa tiwalang ito. This moment in the PNP’s transformation journey will surely carve a mark in the nation’s history and I am proud to be part of it,” the PNP chief added.

“As a long-time member of the uniformed service, I am a living witness in the birth pains and shaping of the PNP. It is my personal belief that this event came in to picture at the right time and opportunity. And with this once in a lifetime pursuit, it define the character of each 3rd Level Officer,” he explained.

“Likewise, I am calling on our countrymen to put their trust and faith in this process as we hope and work to mold a better and strong PNP that is always ready to serve. With this tall order, I assure all the 3rd Level Officers of the PNP that the processes to be undertaken will be fair, objective and judicious at all stages, making sure that zero tolerance for personal biases and political color shall be observed. At the end of this exercise, we can be sure that the PNP will be in good and reliable hands of trustworthy 3rd Level Officers,” Gen. Azurin said.

The 5-Man Committee which will have Colonel and soon-to-be Brigadier General Red Maranan as spokesperson, really needs to ensure that they will have an air-tight case against any of the 3rd-Level Officer lest their recommendation will turn into a long protracted court battle.

Dismissing a police officer is not that easy especially if the latter has the money and the influence to hire the country’s best lawyers. This is the real reason why Gen. Azurin this week said he has ordered concerned officials to review the recommendation of the PNP Internal Affairs Service to dismiss a cop named Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, yes, the PNP Drug Enforcement Group agent who was arrested by his colleagues during an anti-narcotics operation in Manila last October which led in the confiscation of some P6.7 billion worth of shabu.

The top cop asked the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management’s Discipline, Law and Order Division to forward the recommendation of the PNP-IAS to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to avoid some technicalities which could be used by the accused in the future to seek reinstatement to the force.

“We have to look into certain procedures especially documentation para hindi maging rason ni Mayo later na sasabihin niya na hindi nasunod yung proseso,” the PNP chief said. It was Mayo’s arrest which triggered a major crackdown on rogues in uniform in the police force and prompted Sec. Abalos to appeal on all 3rd-Level PNP Officers to submit their courtesy resignations before PBBM. on or before January 31.

Gen. Azurin likewise rebuffed critics who are calling for the administrative relief of PNP-DEG director, Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo and said his top anti-narcotics official is doing a good job in going after drug syndicates and rogues in uniform and should be commended, not replaced.

Gen. Azurin made it clear that Domingo cannot be accused of ‘command responsibility’ in the case of Staff Sergeant Ed Dyson Banaag who was arrested by agents of the National Capital Region Police Office for selling 25 grams of shabu worth P47,000 to an undercover officer in Sta. Cruz, Manila last January 16.

Banaag yielded the drugs during the sting conducted by NCRPO operatives under Major Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo. Two other policemen who reportedly tried to meddle with the operation were also apprehended by the NCRPO and are now facing charges for obstruction of justice.

However, Gen. Azurin said their initial findings showed that when he was arrested, Staff Sgt. Banaag is yet to report to the PNP-DEG after being transferred to the unit from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. In short, he is not yet under the direct control of Domingo when arrested by the NCRPO.

“Si Brig. Gen. Domingo nga ang nag-aresto ke Sgt. Mayo. I don’t see kung bakit siya magkakaroon ng command responsibility dun,” he likewise emphasized.

Right now, the PNP needs to ensure air-tight cases versus some cops arrested for involvement in illicit drug activities to ensure that they won’t have any chance to return to the force by claiming they were not given due process.