PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. has cited the PNP Internal Affairs Service Job for doing an excellent job in 2022, the year which saw the agency attaining a zero case backlog after finishing all the administrative cases it investigated.

According to the top cop, the PNP-IAS successfully fulfilled its Zero Backlog Policy with 100 percent Administrative Case Resolution Efficiency or ACRE for Calendar Year 2022.

Headed by Inspector General Alfegar M. Triambulo, the PNP-IAS said that as of December 29 last year, it resolved speedily all 1,581 police administrative cases lodged in their office.

Gen. Azurin said that the IAS Zero Backlog Policy was first implemented in 2016, the year Attorney Triambulo was named PNP Inspector General by then President Rodrigo Duterte.

The PNP-IAS is the agency tasked to conduct motu proprio or automatic investigation of any of the following cases: incidents where a police personnel discharges a firearm; incidents where death, serious physical injury or any violation of human rights occurred in the conduct of a police operation; or any complaints regarding police personnel violating PNP procedures and regulations.

The unit has the authority to recommend the suspension of dismissal of police personnel based on administrative violations apart from recommending criminal charges against erring cops.

It was created to be the institutional watchdog agency of the PNP and is principally tasked to monitor, investigate and adjudicate administrative cases of erring police personnel. Apart from that, the agency is also mandated to conduct inspection and audit of PNP personnel and units principally for the purpose of determining the state of behavioral discipline of personnel and operational preparedness of PNP units.

Gen. Azurin said the PNP-IAS plays a major role in their internal cleansing program aimed at addressing all forms of misconduct in the 227,000-strong organization.

For the last five years, PNP-IAS records showed it attained consistent high ACRE rate with 62 percent in 2016, 89 percent in 2017, 85 percent in 2018, 99.94 percent in 2019, 99.75 percent in 2020 and 99.65 percent in 2021.

“Through the years, the PNP Internal Affairs Service as the integral disciplinary vanguard of the organization has immensely contributed to the internal growth and organizational reform that shields the PNP from erring cops and bust the culture of wrongdoings among policemen by effectively administering the investigation process of police misconduct and imposing appropriate disciplinary mechanisms,” said the PNP chief.

As an institution, Gen. Azurin said that IAS conducted independent and impartial investigations concerning police force and strives to remain true to its mandate of Championing Police Service Integrity.

“I highly commend the men and women of PNP IAS for this remarkable achievement and for doing their best in providing impartial, genuine and professional service as we look forward to another triumphant year by instilling police discipline, enhancing delivery of police service and dispensing justice to whom it is due,” Gen. Azurin added.

The PNP chief at the start of the year assured the country that their internal cleansing program will continue to be unrelenting in 2023 as they pursue their goal of unmasking, jailing and firing the ‘few bad apples’ in the 227,000-strong organization.

According to the top cop, their internal cleansing drive in 2022 continued with greater focus to purge the organization of undesirable personnel who do not conform with the norms of discipline and proper conduct. The main task is being done by the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Warren F. de Leon.

A report from the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management showed that in 2022, a total of 2,635 errant PNP personnel were meted penalties ranging from withholding of privileges to dismissal from the service due to administrative cases as a direct result of violation of PNP rules and regulations, or involvement in criminal activities.

Gen. Azurin said this hardline stance of the PNP against breach of discipline and misconduct within the ranks is the most prominent manifestation of our genuine responsiveness and commitment to reform the organization and enable it to absorb further development and modernization.

Among these 2,635 delinquent personnel, the PNP chief said that 584 were dismissed from the service, 164 were demoted in rank and 1,225 were meted suspension terms. Another 456 were reprimanded, 117 were meted salary forfeiture penalties, 26 were restricted to quarters and 63 were denied privileges.

Further, he said that those dismissed from the service were found administratively liable in 321 AWOL cases, 42 for drug use, 15 for failure to attend court duty, 20 for violence against women, and others for involvement in criminal cases for murder, homicide, carnapping, illegal drugs, robbery extortion and rape.

“I would like to point out the correlation of organizational reform and individual performance as benchmark factors to the accomplishment of unit mission. Through significant gains in the PNP internal reform program, PNP units fared well in performing our law enforcement and public safety mandate,” Gen. Azurin underscored.

The PNP chief assured the public of their unrelenting effort to identify and arrest rogues in uniform amid their massive internal cleansing program aimed at ensuring that good cops will be aptly rewarded while the bad ones will be punished to the hilt.

The top cop said that from July 1 to December 7 this year, a total of 1,211 PNP personnel were

Apart from being stripped of their service firearms and badges, rogue members of the police force have to contend with the fact that their eventual dismissal from the force will mean that all their benefits will be forfeited too in favor of the government, Gen. Azurin said.

The PNP chief cited the number of erring policemen who were fired from the force for robbery-extortion, some of them found to have extorted just a few thousands of pesos from poor victims who bravely filed a complaint and testified against them.

“Pinagpapalit ng ibang mga tiwaling miyembro ng kapulisan ang kanilang dangal at pangmatagalang benepisyo sa kakaunting pera. Nawa’y maisip ng lahat na hindi biro ang pagpasok sa kapulisan at lalong hindi biro ang aming internal cleansing program,” Gen. Azurin said.

Once dismissed from the police force, an individual cop will lose all his retirement benefits including pension. PNP records show that following a period of active service of 20 years or more, the monthly retirement pay is 50 percent of the base pay and longevity pay, increasing by 2.5 percent for each year of active service beyond 20 up to a maximum of 90 percent for 36 years of service.