AMID findings that some field commanders are really not toeing the line when it comes to their Intensified Cleanliness Policy (ICP), Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar has given a stern warning on his officers to strictly abide by the PNP program in their workplaces or face sanctions including administrative relief.

The PNP chief issued the warning after the PNP Internal Affairs Service sought an explanation from the commander of Police Sub-Station 1 in Mandaue City in Cebu for non-compliance with the ICP of the PNP leadership.

The PNP-IAS finding triggered the administrative relief of 33 personnel of the Mandaue Police Sub-Station 1 led by a police major. Police Regional Office 7 (PRO7) director, Brigadier Gen. Ronnie S. Montejo said the 33 policemen were replaced by personnel from the City Mobile Force Company.

“Magsilbing babala sana itong nangyari sa isang police station sa Cebu. Laging tandaan ng ating mga kapulisan na hindi lang mga mata ng taga-PNP, ng IAS, ang nag-oobserba at nagbabantay sa ating mga police stations sa iba’t-ibang sulok ng bansa para siguraduhing malinis ang mga ito at sila’y tumatalima sa ating ICP,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“Mas mahalaga na panatilihin nating malinis, maayos at may sapat na bilang ng pulis ang ating mga presinto at mga tanggapan para hindi kahiya-hiya sa publiko at hindi mag-atubili ang ating mga kababayan na lumapit sa atin,” he added.

During a surprise inspection by a team of PNP-IAS officers led by Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo at the station around 2 p.m. last week, the Sub-Station 1 of the Mandaue City Police Office was found to be ‘dirty’ and manned by an insufficient number of police personnel.

The IAS inspection team found inside the police station clothes hung to dry, an empty bottle of alcoholic beverage, improperly labeled garbage bins, a dog and even dog poop.

Only four out of 45 personnel were present during the IAS inspection, Gen. Eleazar said.

According to the IAS, even the station commander was not there at the time of the inspection. The deputy station commander was present but was observed to be inattentive and could not account for how many personnel were at the police station at the time of inspection.

The IAS inspectors also noticed that the desk officer was not properly wearing his face mask and had no face shield.

Montejo said the 33 were transferred to the Mandaue City Police Holding and Administrative Unit and required to undergo a transformation seminar. They were also tasked to clean all three Mandaue City police stations while undergoing the seminar.

Following the incident, the Central Visayas police commander asked all his men to fully comply with Gen. Eleazar’s ICP and said the relief of the 33 should serve as a lesson to their fellows.

“We should follow the orders given by our superiors. Keeping our stations clean is not for us but for the public who would come to our offices for their daily transactions. We should make our stations comfortable and refreshing to the eyes of the public,” he said.

Gen. Eleazar maintained that due process was observed in the case of the Mandaue City policemen including their station commander.

“ Anong ginagawa niya bakit ganito nadatnan ang kanilang istasyon? Diyan din papasok ang effective supervision na noon pa natin pinapaalala sa ating police commanders,” the top cop said.

PNP-IAS deputy head, Major Gen. Gerry T. Galvan also discovered infractions of members of the Sta. Rosa City Police Station in Laguna when he led a surprise inspection of the facility on Saturday.

The official said he found some local policemen not compliant with minimum health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as they found them not wearing face masks and face shields when they arrived at their station.

Galvan said the station also has no Duty Detail of personnel which is a must to ensure the integrity of their attendance. He added that two policemen including the commander on duty were on half-uniform while a policewoman was without the required hairnet.

As a ‘spot correction,’ the erring policemen were ordered to perform squat thrusts and squat jumps. However, he said that the police station’s surroundings, comfort room, offices and kitchen were generally clean and orderly.

The ICP in offices ensures that all police precincts and stations are kept clean and presentable which would reflect well on the policemen assigned there. Through this, the PNP chief said the police would gain the public’s confidence.

“Paano tayo rerespetuhin ng publiko kung ganyan ang madadatnan sa istasyon? Madumi na nga, kulang na kulang pa sa tao. Paano tayo makapagsisilbi ng maayos kung ang simpleng pagpapanatili ng kaayusan sa istasyon ay hindi ninyo magawa?,” he said.

When he assumed as the country’s 26th PNP chief, Gen. Eleazar instituted the ICP which is based on the Broken Windows Theory where small problems must be fixed immediately before they got bigger.