PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. yesterday assured all Filipinos that complaints against rogues in uniform are being completely addressed by the PNP leadership which does not tolerate abusive acts and other irregularities being committed by its men.

According to the top cop, the PNP as a professional organization maintains a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on misfits and scalawags in the police force and is seeing to it that any breach of discipline and irregularities being committed by its wayward personnel are being handled properly thru the conduct of criminal and administrative proceedings.

However, he said they still need the full cooperation of the public in unmasking rogues in the police force.

“We really need the cooperation of all sectors in the community. Sabi ko nga ay pagtulong-tulungan natin na sugpuin ang krimen sa ating barangay. At the end of the day, pulis ang magle-lead at magpapatupad ng batas para sa kaayusan at katahimikan ng ating lugar,” he said.

From 2016 to last June alone, the PNP dismissed 3,632 rogues in uniform and suspended 3,147 others for various criminal and administrative offenses. Another 9,408 erring police personnel were also reprimanded or demoted during the period,” Gen. Azurin said.

“We always strive to provide the most credible service to the general public. Their confidence is the bastion of our duty to fight against injustices and eradicate criminality. Thus, for this to happen, we have to ensure that we possess the value of trustworthy law enforcers,” the PNP chief said.

According to the highest police official of the land, the PNP will always recognize the contribution of honest and dedicated police officers but will not hesitate to condemn those who tarnish the good reputation of the organization.

The country’s 28th top cop said that under him, he wants to confront ‘those within the organization who err.’

According to him, their internal cleansing program of preventive punitive and restorative efforts have been actually very effective but still, all police commanders need to exercise their respective disciplinary authority or be replaced with a more competent commander.

“It will be a year of continuing change for the organization as we remain resolute in improving police work and capabilities and cleansing our ranks of misfits and scalawags,” the member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Makatao’ Class of 1989 declared.

Gen. Azurin has designated Brigadier Gen Warren F. de Leon of PNPA Class 1993 to head the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group which is tasked to go after rogues in police uniform ‘without fear or favor.’

The official said they will be going after active, retired and dismissed police personnel regardless of their rank, position and source of commission.

Gen. Azurin likewise ordered the PNP Directorate for Intelligence headed by Brig. Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. to intensify their monitoring of police personnel involved in illegal activities so that the PNP-IMEG can undertake necessary operations to catch them.

Shortly after he assumed his new post, de Leon announced the arrest of Police Master Sergeant Alvin Enad, an active member of the Police Regional Office 7 who is wanted for a robbery with double homicide case.

Court records showed that the suspect was charged in connection with the death of couple Peter and Malou Baringui-an in San Fernando, Cebu on February 13, 2022. The slain woman is a councilor of Barangay Balungag when he and her husband were shot dead while they were about to have their dinner with their family and bodyguards inside their house in Bgy. Panadtaran.

At least five bonnet-wearing men armed with long firearms barged inside the victims’ residence and shot them without any provocation. Malou was aiming for a seat in San Fernando’s town council in last May 9 election when she was killed.

Five policemen were later linked to the killing of the couple and charged with robbery with double homicide, said PRO7 director, Brig. Gen. Roque Edgardo DP Vega. Four suspects were eventually accounted for by the PRO7 days after the killing.

During investigation, one of the accused policemen tagged Enad as one of their accomplices prompting Vega to place him under camp restriction pending the issuance of a warrant of arrest against him.

Last week, PNP-IMEG also hauled to jail four more wanted police personnel.

Brig. Gen. de Leon said that one of the suspects identified as Corporal Roderick Gutierrez, a 50-year old member of the Parañaque City Police Station was arrested inside the Tambo Police Sub-Station 2 located along Diokno Boulevard in Barangay Tambo 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.

He said that the suspect is the subject of a warrant of arrest for robbery with violence against or intimidation of person issued by Judge Edwin Ramizo of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 114 on April 28, 2014.

The court recommended a P100,000 bail for the temporary liberty of the accused who was arrested by officers from the IMEG National Capital Region Field Unit led by Lieutenant Leonardo Rowel Dulay Jr.

The 2nd suspect identified as dismissed Senior Police Officer 2 Elmar Orolfo was arrested at house no. 189 in 8th Avenue Extension, Bgy. 105 in Caloocan City 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on the basis of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for murder.

Brig. Gen. de Leon said that members of the IMEG Counter-Intelligence Division, joined by officers from the Cordillera Police Regional Special Operations Group and the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group placed the suspect under arrest on the strength of a warrant for murder issued by Judge Cecilia Corazon Dulay-Archog of the Baguio City RTC Branch 6 on December 22, 2016.

The PNP-IMEG director said that the suspect’s arrest was ordered in connection with a failed drug sting in Baguio City in August 2018 that left one suspect dead and two policemen wounded.

He said that the accused was dismissed from the police force for his involvement in extortion cases.

Brig. Gen. de Leon said he has ordered the IMEG NCRPO headed by Lt. Colonel D’artagnan D. Katalbas Jr. to account for more wanted policemen in Metro Manila in line with their intensified internal cleansing drive ordered by Gen. Azurin.

“The PNP leadership is very firm on this: we are showing no leniency to any PNP member, either active, retired, dismissed or suspended who are involved in illegal activities.

We are going all-out against these rogues in uniform who continue to defy the law despite the PNP chief’s stern warning. This is our commitment to the PNP organization and the entire public,” said de Leon.

He said that information may be relayed to the PNP IMEG Hotlines: Smart- 09989702286 or Globe- 09957952569 or thru the Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group and Twitter Account: @imeg2017.