OVER P5 billion worth of shabu and other prohibited substances have been confiscated while more than 22,000 wanted persons have been arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) from January 1 to April 25 this year, PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said as he vowed to further sustain the PNP’s massive anti-illegal drugs campaign and internal cleansing program.

The top cop said that during the period, the PNP conducted 15,589 anti-illegal drug operations which led to the arrest of 20,799 drug offenders, many of them engaged in drug trafficking activities.

He added that the operations resulted in the confiscation of illegal drugs valued at P5,532,186,002.25.

“This is a great accomplishment in our campaign against illegal drugs. We will continue to be aggressive in all our operations against big- time drug personalities or High-value Individuals (HVIs),”the member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 said.

He also reported the arrest of 22,649 most wanted persons in the country from January 1 to April 21 this year alone amid their intensified effort to account for all lawbreakers with warrants of arrests issued by different courts nationwide.

Gen. Acorda said the arrests were the product of ‘intelligence-driven operations’ aimed at sending wanted persons to jail and preventing the possibility they would commit more crimes in the streets.

The PNP chief said that majority of the suspects were wanted for heinous crimes including murder, rape and robbery-holdup.

“Our achievements in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrate the commitment and dedication of the PNP in carrying out our mandate to uphold the rule of law and bring criminals to justice,” the PNP chief said as he congratulated his men for their hard work and dedication in pursuing wanted criminals across the country.

Gen. Acorda has ordered all 17 Police Regional Offices and the different PNP National Operational Support Units led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to further intensify their efforts to arrest most wanted persons in the country.

“We will not rest until all criminals are brought to justice. We will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies and the community to ensure that our streets are safe for our fellow Filipinos,” he said.

According to the PNP chief, their community policing program has contributed well to their campaign against wanted persons as many citizens have been feeding the police with reliable information regarding the presence of most wanted persons in their neighborhood.

“We cannot do this alone, and we need the help and cooperation of the public. Let us work together towards achieving our common goal of a peaceful and prosperous Philippines,” Gen. Acorda said.

“All this shows the PNP’s strong commitment to slow down if not put an end to the illegal drug trade. Under my leadership, I will assure the public that the PNP will remain steadfast in its commitment to protect the Filipino people and rid the country of the drug menace. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our communities are safe and secure,” the PNP chief added while maintaining that their efforts have been highly effective in ensuring that those involved in illegal drugs are brought to justice.

WELCOMES SENATORS’ CALL FOR PNP CLEANSING

Gen. Acorda also welcomed calls by Philippine senators for him to lead the intensified cleansing of the police force.

“The Philippine National Police (PNP) gratefully acknowledges the support of the Senate in all ongoing internal cleansing efforts of the organization. We assure our Honorable Senators that all measures are in place to prevent every possible opportunity for irregularities to be committed by police personnel and if committed, appropriate actions will be readily taken,” he said.

“ At the same time, internal disciplinary mechanisms are enhanced to establish certainty of commensurate punishments as the PNP’s stern response to every case involving any form of misbehavior or abuse by its members,” Gen. Acorda added.

The PNP chief said they fully recognize the concerns raised by the senators that the very few rogue elements in the police force must not be given any room to propagate their activities and destroy the reputation of the entire organization.

“We welcome the senators’ expression of support to our sincere actions to maintain the highest standard of transparency and accountability in the police service.

“Our way forward is to reinforce the preventive aspect of our internal disciplinary systems thru early detection and active counter-intelligence to identify red flags and deny further deviancy,” Gen. Acorda said.

The PNP chief said their Internal Affairs Service under Inspector General Alfegar M. Triambulo backed by the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Warren F. De Leon shall lead the way in this endeavor. Gen. Acorda also briefly commanded the PNP-IMEG in 2020.

Gen. Acorda has already set his priorities and marching orders for the police organization.

In his first command conference with all 17 PNP Regional Directors and heads of National Support Units, he emphasized the need to focus on anti-illegal drugs, anti-insurgency, anti-terrorism, and cleansing the PNP ranks.

He also stressed the importance of transparency with the media, saying that what the police are doing should be made known to the public.

Gen. Acorda directed all 17 Police Regional Office Directors and the heads of the different PNP National Operational Support Units to adopt an aggressive approach and focus on operations in line with the mission, vision, and functions of the PNP and the Philippines’ Development Plan for 2028.

The top cop said that any reshuffle of key posts in the PNP under him would also be done based on policy and guidelines, as well as qualifications based on merit, ability, capability, and moral ascendancy. He emphasized that the Selection and Placement Board (SPB) would be empowered to ensure that no rules are violated during the process.

He also called for unity within the PNP organization and to be guided by the “Serbisyong Nagkakaisa”, the Peace and Order Framework under their call for a ‘Unified PNP’ in support to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Gen. Acorda has encouraged his commanders to treat everyone as a member of the family, and to punish personnel when they commit mistakes but not to shame or embarrass them.

“Mas marami pa rin ang mabubuting pulis, and I want the people to know that,” he said.

The PNP chief likewise urged everyone to change the old mindset that “for evil to succeed is for man to do nothing” to “do good things to defeat evil” instead.

Lastly, he also called for inter-agency coordination among government agencies, the community and the media, to combat crime and promote the country’s development. ” Iisa lang ang bansa natin, mahalin natin eto, magtulungan tayo,” Gen. Acorda said.