PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP)QW chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. has assured both houses of Congress of an intensified internal cleansing of the 228,000-strong police organization under his command.

The top cop particularly welcomed calls by the Senate led by Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ F. Zubiri and the House of Representatives led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin F. Romualdez of his strong resolve to lead the massive house-cleaning of the police force.

“The Philippine National Police gratefully acknowledges the support of the Senate and the House of Representatives in all ongoing internal cleansing efforts of the organization. We assure our Honorable senators and congressmen that all measures are in place to prevent every possible opportunity for irregularities to be committed by police personnel and if committed, appropriate actions will be readily taken,” he said.

“ At the same time, internal disciplinary mechanisms are enhanced to establish certainty of commensurate punishments as the PNP’s stern response to every case involving any form of misbehavior or abuse by its members,” Gen. Acorda added.

According to the PNP chief, they fully recognize the concerns raised by members of Congress that the very few rogue elements in the police force must not be given any room to propagate their activities and destroy the reputation of the entire organization.

“We welcome their expression of support to our sincere actions to maintain the highest standard of transparency and accountability in the police service.

Our way forward is to reinforce the preventive aspect of our internal disciplinary systems thru early detection and active counter-intelligence to identify red flags and deny further deviancy,” Gen. Acorda said.

The PNP chief said their Internal Affairs Service headed by Inspector General Alfegar M. Triambulo and the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group led by Brigadier Gen. Warren F. De Leon will lead the way in this endeavor.

Gen. Acorda set his priorities and marching orders for the police organization after he became the country’s 29th PNP chief last April 24 with the retirement of Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.

The PNP chief emphasized the need for all his 17 Regional Directors and heads of the different PNP National Operational and Administrative Support Units to focus on the following: anti-illegal drugs, anti-insurgency, anti-terrorism, and cleansing the PNP ranks.

He likewise stressed the importance of transparency with the media, saying that what the police are doing should be made known to the public.

Officers and men of the force have welcomed the announcement of Gen. Acorda that they don’t have to wash their dirty linen in public while pursuing a massive internal cleansing of the organization.

The new top cop earlier said he is not keen on naming rogues in the force unless formal criminal and administrative charges have been filed against them before the proper forum.

“If you have seen in my message also, I would want serbisyong nagkakaisa. Internally sa kapulisan, we are united in promoting respect na makuha sa amin ng community, habang suot namin ang aming uniform dapat igalang and each and every personnel should be treated well,” the top said.

Gen. Acorda compared the 228,000-strong police force to a Filipino family. According to him, he believes that the head of a Filipino family needs to discipline his son inside the confines of their home if the latter has been accused of committing a wrongdoing .

However, that should be done without the father announcing to the whole world that he disciplined his son especially if he didn’t do any complete investigation.

“Sa ganang akin, wag paluin pero kung kelangan ipakulong, ipakulong pero huwag ipamalita,” he said. Gen. Acorda said he was once the chief of the police counter-intelligence and knows really well that only a few are in the list of erring police personnel.

“Mas marami po ang mabubuting pulis, yan ang napansin ko sa intelligence. Kaya nga sabi ko, iibahin na natin yung kasabihang ‘“the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ Dapat, ang sabihin natin ngayon is ‘let us do the good things to defeat the evil,” the PNP chief said.

Gen. Acorda has underscored his commitment to continue the massive anti-illegal drugs campaign started by his predecessor. “My stand on anti-illegal drugs is clear: No police should be involved in pushing, using or whatever means of illegal drug trade. You will be charged and removed from the service. This is my warning to each and every one of you. Our fight will be holistic in prevention and aggressive in operations,” he emphasized.

The PNP chief said that making public the names of 3rd-Level PNP officers absolved or recommended for expulsion by the 5-Man Committee will rest on the decision of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.

Once the President accepts the courtesy resignation of some concerned 3rd-level police officers, they will lose all their retirement pay and benefits except for their CAL or Commutation of Accrued Leave which is the conversion of unused leave credits to their corresponding money value.

PNP spokesperson, Colonel Jean Fajardo said that as announced previously by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr., a total of 917 3rd-level officers out of the 953 who submitted their courtesy resignations last January to the Commander-in-Chief have already been ‘cleared’ by the 5-Man Advisory Group.

Fajardo said she doesn’t have details regarding the 36 particularly on how many of them are star-rank officers or full-fledged colonels.

Former PNP chief, Gen. Azurin led the 5-man committee and got ample help from the other four members namely Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, former Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro; Office of the Presidential adviser on Military and Police Affairs, Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez and retired Court of Appeals Association Justice Melchor Q. Sadang.