OFFICERS and men of the 228,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) have welcomed the announcement of their new chief, General Benjamin S. Acorda Jr. that they don’t have to wash their dirty linen in public while pursuing a massive internal cleansing of the organization.

The new top cop earlier said he is not keen on naming rogues in the force unless formal criminal and administrative charges have been filed against them before the proper forum.

“If you have seen in my message also, I would want serbisyong nagkakaisa. Internally sa kapulisan, we are united in promoting respect na makuha sa amin ng community, habang suot namin ang aming uniform dapat igalang and each and every personnel should be treated well,” the top cop told his 1st press conference at Camp Crame.

Gen. Acorda compared the 228,000-strong police force to a Filipino family. According to him, he believes that the head of a Filipino family needs to discipline his son inside the confines of their home if the latter has been accused of committing a wrongdoing .

However, that should be done without the father announcing to the whole world that he disciplined his son especially if he didn’t do any complete investigation.

“Sa ganang akin, wag paluin pero kung kelangan ipakulong, ipakulong pero huwag ipamalita,” he said. Gen. Acorda said he was once the chief of the police counter-intelligence and knows really well that only a few are in the list of erring police personnel.

“Mas marami po ang mabubuting pulis, yan ang napansin ko sa intelligence. Kaya nga sabi ko, iibahin na natin yung kasabihang ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ Dapat, ang sabihin natin ngayon is ‘let us do the good things to defeat the evil,” the PNP chief said.

Gen. Acorda has underscored his commitment to to continue the massive anti-illegal drugs campaign started by his predecessor, now retired General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.

“My stand on anti-illegal drugs is clear: No police should be involved in pushing, using or whatever means of illegal drug trade. You will be charged and removed from the service. This is my warning to each and every one of you. Our fight will be holistic in prevention and aggressive in operations,” he emphasized.

Gen. Acorda also vowed that under him, the PNP’s ‘reward and punishment’ program will be quick and decisive. “It shall be fair and impartial and due process shall be observed. We will establish unity, patriotism, uplift morale, strengthen cooperation and instill discipline in the organization,” he said.

The PNP chief said the decision to make public the names of 3rd-level PNP officers absolved or recommended for expulsion by the 5-Man Committee will rest on the decision of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.

“With regard to the names, I leave that to the President,” he said.

Once the President accepts the courtesy resignation of some concerned 3rd-level police officers, they will lose all their retirement pay and benefits except for their Commutation of Accrued Leave (CAL) which is the conversion of unused leave credits to their corresponding money value.

Gen. Acorda said the process of evaluating the police generals and colonels who tendered their courtesy resignation to President Marcos Jr. last January has already been completed by the 5-Man Committee and the recommendation submitted to the National Police Commission for final review.

PNP spokesperson, Colonel Jean Fajardo said that as announced previously by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr., a total of 917 3rd-level officers out of the 953 who submitted their courtesy resignations last January to the Commander-in-Chief have already been ‘cleared’ by the 5-Man Advisory Group.

“The 5-Man Committee completed its job and forwarded its report to SILG. The Napolcom will then review the recommendations and they have the authority to revise whatever will be the findings,” Fajardo said.

The official said that as mentioned by Gen. Acorda, it will be the prerogative of President Marcos to whether accept or deny the final report from the Napolcom.

“The remaining 36 will undergo further evaluation by the Napolcom. However, the President has the authority and discretion kung tatanggapin ang courtesy resignations or not ng mga opisyal na ito,” she said.

Fajardo said she doesn’t have details regarding the 36 particularly on how many of them are star-rank officers or full-fledged colonels.

“Yung namention po na 917, these are the names na recommended na hindi tatangapin based on the assessment and evaluation of the 5-Man Advisory Group. Wala pong nakita na me record sila. I understand na yung 917, hindi po tatanggapin ang resignations,” the official said.

Col. Fajardo said all 953 3rd-Level Officers underwent a thorough review and evaluation by the 5-Man council although the Napolcom has the authority to revise or follow the body’s recommendations. Ang final report po eh manggagaling sa Napolcom,” she said.

“As the Chief,PNP had said, let’s be careful in naming names unless we have evidence. However, once the President accepts their resignation letters, they will be removed from the service,” the PNP spokesperson said.

Former PNP chief, Gen. Azurin led the 5-Man Committee and got ample help from the other four members namely Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, former Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro; Office of the Presidential adviser on Military and Police Affairs, Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez and retired Court of Appeals Association Justice Melchor Q. Sadang for their contribution in resolving the issues that affected the police force.

PNP officers and men agree that the names of 3rd-level officers who have been cleared of involvement in illegal drugs must be made public as soon as President Marcos approves the final recommendation from the National Police Commission.

This after Azurin, prior to his retirement asserted that the names of those cleared upon the recommendation of the 5-Man Committee and the Napolcom must be made public after Sec. Abalos reported that the courtesy resignations of 917 3rd-level PNP officers were denied.

“The SILG initially said 917 were recommended to have their courtesy resignations denied. I think it is but fitting that they reveal those names,” he said.

The 7,391-strong PNP Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PNPAAAI) also called on the DILG and PNP leaderships to follow due process and fairness in its search for the truth on the mystery behind the more than a ton of shabu worth over P8 billion discovered inside a lending firm-turned drug warehouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila in October last year.

The major drug haul scored by the PNP Drug Enforcement Group formerly headed by Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo actually prompted Gen. Azurin and Sec. Abalos to call on all 3rd-level PNP officers to tender their courtesy resignations before President Marcos to pave the way for a thorough cleansing of police officials with drug links.

The PNPAAAI announced its full support to Sec. Abalos and the top PNP leadership for carrying out their ongoing internal cleansing campaign at the 227,000-strong police force which lately has been hit by demoralization amid ‘cover-up charges and counter-charges’ aired over the controversy-laden seizure of P6.7 billion worth of shabu and the pilferage of 42 more kilos of the drug.

However, the group chaired by retired Police Major General Gilbert DC Cruz, now the Executive Director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, said that while the police agency had been beset with seemingly endless controversies which, on and off, have unfairly dragged the names of and reputations of its members before the bar of public opinion, the public and the decision-makers should always consider the primacy of the Constitutional precept of due process.

“The higher authorities should also always take into consideration of ensuring that justice is served fairly, swiftly and accurately because the truth will always set us all free,” the nine-member PNPAAAI Board of Trustees said in a manifesto.

“This is to protect the interest of the innocent officials, including their families from public embarrassment and humiliation. As an instrument of law enforcement, the PNP knows there is no substitute for due process,” the group of ‘Lakans’ said in the wake of the major drug controversy which has dragged the names of some PNPA and Philippine Military Academy graduates.