PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. this year is moving to restructure the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) which is their ‘muscle’ in implementing a no-nonsense crackdown against rogues in uniform regardless of their rank and position.

Headed by Brigadier Gen. Warren F. de Leon, the PNP chief said he wants the PNP-IMEG along with the PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAF) under Inspector General Alfegar M. Triambulo and the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) headed by Brig. Gen. Narciso D. Domingo to undergo restructuring that will make them more effective in carrying out their mandates.

“I will now initiate the restructuring of IAS, IMEG and PDEG, these units, being the frontrunners in our fight against illegal drugs and internal cleansing. And to give more teeth to our disciplinary machinery, our processes in IAS must be further improved to pave way to a speedier disposition of cases,” he said.

According to Gen. Azurin, the situation requires that these units be more aggressive and proactive to support the PNP’s thrust on internal cleansing.

“A stronger vetting process among personnel of these units and among all key positions in the PNP will be implemented with strong resolve. Similarly, our counterintelligence efforts must all the more stepped-up to protect the integrity of all police undertakings,” he explained.

There have been previous proposals to beef up the manpower strength of the PNP-IMEG and that it be allowed to build its own units in different cities and provinces nationwide to make it more effective.

At present, the PNP-IMEG still has no regional or provincial units unlike the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Highway Patrol Group (HPG) or the PNP Intelligence Group (PNP-IG).

But despite the lack of manpower, the PNP-IMEG in 2022 did a good job in performing its tasks by conducting a total of 86 police operations, 64 of which yielded positive results or a 74.41 success rate.

Last year saw the PNP-IMEG arresting 21 suspects including two Police Commissioned Officers; 13 Police Non-Commissioned Officers; one Non-Uniformed Personnel; one ex-PNP personnel; and four civilians.

The unit also served 51 warrants of arrest issued by different regional trial courts nationwide resulting in the arrest of four PCOs, 27 PNCOs, and 20 ex-PNP personnel. It also served a search warrant which led in the arrest of a former cop.

PNP-IMEG records showed that its 2022 operations led to the arrest of four suspects for robbery-extortion; another four for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; three for violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013; two for violation of RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employeess; and one each for violation of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 11235 or the Universal Health Care Act; RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012; RA 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009; RA 10883 or the New Anti-Carnapping Act of 2016; grave coercion and violation of Article 231 of the Revised Penal Code or open disobedience.

Year 2022 likewise saw the PNP-IMEG filing criminal cases against 19 suspects led by the two PCOs and 13 PNCOs.

Eleven of the cases filed are still undergoing court trial while one was dismissed.

The PNP-IMEG has also intensified the conduct of its own Oplan: Pagsungko which is aimed at ensuring the integrity and credibility of the PNP recruitment process thru an overt and covert approach.

It also has its Oplan: Bansay which focuses on ensuring the integrity and credibility of the training program for all police recruits being conducted by the different PNP training centers across the country.

For this purpose, the PNP-IMEG has put up their IMEG Drop Box in which trainees may drop their letter-complaints regarding possible anomalies and irregularities taking place inside their training facilities. The identities of the complainants are kept in utmost secrecy.

Gen. Azurin has commended the PNP-IMEG for its accomplishments last year even as he assured the country that their internal cleansing program will continue to be unrelenting this year 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.

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.

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.