PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar yesterday ordered the administrative relief of a police precinct commander in General Santos City accused of assaulting his men.

The top cop identified the officer as Captain Nemecio Calipjo Jr., commander of the General Santos City Police-Community Precinct 8 in Barangay Tinagacan.

The officer was accused of punching and slapping four non-commissioned officers under him.

“I have already directed the RD, PRO12 to immediately relieve Police Captain Nemecio Calipjo, Jr. as commander of the General Santos City Police Precinct 8 while the investigation is being conducted against him,” said the top cop.

PRO12 director, Brigadier Gen. Michael John F. Dubria said he has relieved the accused of his command and placed him under full investigation in connection with the incident.

One of the complainants alleged that the incident happened at around 1:30 a.m. last Sunday when Calipjo arrived supposedly drunk at the police precinct.

The complainant claimed the officer ordered his men to be at formation in front of the precinct and while holding an M-16 rifle started castigating and threatening to kill them.

Calipjo allegedly punched and slapped his subordinates while castigating them for about an hour and the rifle he was wielding even accidentally went off when he set it down, a report forwarded to the Office of the Chief PNP said.

It was claimed that the precinct commander was angry at his men for their alleged inaction on the concern brought to them by a resident close to Calipjo.

“All police commanders should set good leadership examples to their men and what Police Capt. Calipjo, based on the initial report I received, was clearly a breach of discipline and violation of PNP rules and regulations,” said Gen. Eleazar.

“Hindi ko hahayaan na ganitong uri ng pulis ang mamumuno sa mga komunidad dahil kung hindi niya kayang sundin ang aming patakaran at irespeto ang kanyang kapwa pulis, malamang ay hindi rin niya kayang irespeto ang mga karapatan ng ating mga sibilyang kababayan,” he added.

The PNP chief said that if proven true, Calipjo’s actions will not be tolerated by the PNP leadership, and he would face serious sanctions over his actions.

The PNP Internal Affairs Service is set to conduct its investigation of the incident to determine the administrative cases that would be filed against Calipjo.

“Mahigpit ang ating tagubilin tungkol sa pagkakaroon ng disiplina ng ating kapulisan. Hindi ganitong klaseng pulis ang nais nating iwanan sa ating hanay,” Gen. Eleazar said.