PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to accept the courtesy resignation of 18 of the 953 3rd-Level Philippine National Police officials for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs is a clear message to all members of the force that they have to fully abide by the law and avoid tinkering with the system, PNP chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said on Wednesday.

“We respect the President’s decision and believe there are more meaningful officers out there. This will send a message na talagang mahirap paglaruan ang system. And this is also an opportunity for the PNP to redeem its image, something which Filipinos can really be proud of,” the top cop told newsmen at Camp Crame.

Gen. Acorda said he was scheduled to have a meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin at the Malacañang Palace to discuss matters regarding the president’s decision.

“We are also requesting an official copy of the order as we are really sincere in our internal cleansing program. As we speak, the plan is to place those officials to the PHAU (Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit). I will talk with ES first before talking with our Director for Personnel and Records Management,” he said.

President Marcos Jr. on Tuesday accepted the courtesy resignation of the 18 officials who were subjected to a thorough investigation by a 5-Man Committee headed by former PNP chief, now retired General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. and the National Police Commission chaired by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr.

The 18 include three 1-star generals, all from PNP Academy Class 1993 and 15 Colonels who are also all products of the PNPA.

The 18 are Brigadier Generals Remus B. Medina, Randy Q. Peralta and Pablo G. Labra II and Colonels Rogarth B. Campo, Rommel J. Ochave, Rommel A. Velasco, Robin K. Sarmiento, Fernando R. Ortega, Rex O. Derilo, Julian T. Olonan, Rolando T. Portera, Lawrence B. Cajipe, Dario M. Menor, Joel K. Tampis, Michael A. David, Igmedio B. Bernaldez, Rodolfo C. Albotra Jr. and Marvin B. Sanchez.

President Marcos, in his second State-of-the-Nation-Address revealed he would accept the resignations of “unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade.”

However, the 18 all said they were not given “due process.”

Some of the 18 who spoke to the Journal Group on condition of anonymity said they will question the PNP and Napolcom recommendations approved by President Marcos Jr. before the court.

One of the three 1-star generals said he is “ready to die today” if it will really be proven that he is involved in illegal drug activities.

One of the 15 colonels also said he has never been assigned to any Drug Enforcement Unit since he joined the force.

Some maintained they did not file a “courtesy resignation” addressed to President Marcos through Secretary Abalos and Gen. Azurin last January and instead wrote a letter to the Chief Executive airing their full support to the administration’s effort to cleanse the police force of officials with drug links.

“We are fighting for our career here and most importantly, our reputation and that our family’s. What’s the basis behind the charges against us? Can they show the details of our involvement in illegal drugs so that we can answer them point by point,” said one of the three generals.

Brig. Gen. Medina and Brig. Gen. Peralta were relieved as Quezon City Police District director and PNP Drug Enforcement Group director respectively by Gen. Azurin shortly after he took over the top PNP position last August 1.

Brig. Gen. Labra was relieved as director of the Police Regional Office 13 in Caraga region only last week.

Some of the police colonels are already occupying Command Group positions in the regions while others were already relieved from the posts since last year.

Two of them were formerly assigned with the PNP Drug Enforcement Group and were among those investigated in connection with the controversial seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu in Manila last year which was marred by charges of massive pilferage.

Others are occupying key positions in different PNP regional offices and PNP national operational support units.

Some are also classmates of a police officer who was killed in an ambush in Mandaluyong City on April 16, 2014. After he was killed, the wife of Chief Inspector Elmer Santiago of PNPA Class 1996 released a diagram allegedly drawn by her late husband which contained the names of at least 30 police officers, some of them Santiago’s classmates.

The diagram written in red ink contained the names of convicted Muslim and Chinese drug traffickers who were already serving their sentence at the New Bilibid Prisons and over 30 policemen with different ranks.

However, the “link diagram” remained unsubstantiated and no charges were filed in connection with it.

Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil said that PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. is monitoring the 18 officials, some of them already relieved from their posts.

Gen. Acorda said the 18 would be assigned to the PHAU which is under the DPRM “to preclude them from exerting further influence and/or performing illegal activities using their positions.”