PNP chief warns men vs engaging in partisan politics

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Monday reminded all officers and men of the 210,000-strong force against engaging in partisan politicking activities with the election season fast forthcoming.

“As DILG Secretary Ed Año had said, hindi tayo dapat makisawsaw sa pulitiko. We should remain neutral sa lahat ng pagkakataon dahil meron palaging time of reckoning,” the top cop told his men.

Gen. Eleazar issued the reminder following a warning from Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Eduardo M. Año for PNP personnel to remain non-partisan or face dismissal from the service.

“Policemen have no business in politics unless they resign and run for public office or openly support a candidate. We have already mechanisms to isolate the PNP from politics and we will make sure that all of these are in place and are properly observed,” he said.

The PNP chief said that at present, they are preparing for the coming 2022 presidential and national elections. His order for his field commanders is to see to it that be will be knowledgeable of the ‘political terrain’ in their areas in order to address security loopholes.

“We are not aiming for zero violence here per mabawasan naman natin ng Malaki sana,” he said. Police are currently stepping-up their crackdown against partisan armed groups and loose firearms that could be used to commit violence during the election.

Gen. Eleazar has ordered all 17 Police Regional Office directors, the chiefs of the PNP Intelligence Group and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to ensure that they will be able to account for more illegal weapons and dismantle so-called PAGs that may be employed by rogue politicians during the polls to threaten their rivals and their supporters.

“Pinaalalahanan ko lang ang ating mga kapulisan na hanggang 56 years old ang career ninyo sa PNP, mas mahaba ang tour of duty ninyo as policemen kumpara sa mga pulitiko. Kaya huwag ninyong sayangin sa maikling panahon ng kampanyahan at halalan ang mga taon na dapat ay kayo ay nasa serbisyo dahil kung mapatunayan na nakikialam kayo sa pulitika, ang laki ng mawawala sa inyo at kasama diyan ang mga benepisyo gaya ng pension kapag kayo ay nagretiro,” he said.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) chaired by Sec. Año recently dismissed from the service six Negros Occidental policemen after finding them guilty of grave misconduct and grave irregularities in the performance of their duty by subjecting in 2017 then Moises Padilla Vice-Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo to an illegal search and seizure.

After a thorough probe, the Napolcom found that the six PNP personnel subjected Yulo to political harassment as she was planning to run for mayor in 2019 against then incumbent Mayor Magdaleno Peña.

“The incident that happened in Negros Occidental wherein six PNP personnel were dismissed from the service for dipping their fingers into local politics should serve as a warning to all other personnel about the risk they are staking for involving themselves in politics,” said Gen. Eleazar.

“Gaya ng babala ni SILG Eduardo Año, aking pinaaalalahanan ang ating mga pulis na huwag na makigulo pa of makisawsaw sa mundo ng pulitika. Huwag po tayong magpagamit sa mga pulitiko na may hindi magandang agenda dahil sa huli, ikasisira lang natin ito,” he added.

According to Gen. Eleazar, PNP personnel should instead focus on coming up with measures to ensure an orderly, credible and peaceful national and local elections next year.

“Ang ating pagtuunan ng pansin ay kung paano makatutulong ang PNP na matiyak ang malinis at maayos na halalan sa 2022,” he said.