Senator Bato Dela Rosa has called on the leadership of the Philippine National Police to dismiss from service police officers who skipped drug tests, and to weed out from the organization those who are involved in illegal drugs as part of its internal cleansing program.
Dela Rosa issued the call during a public hearing conducted by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights joint with the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs looking into the spate of killings in the country.
“Continue the anti-illegal drugs program that I implemented during my term.”
The legislator urged the current PNP leadership, led by PNP Chief Debold Sinas, to continue the anti-illegal drugs program that he implemented during his term.
“(General) Debold, I would like to advise you. Para maramdaman talaga ng taumbayan na we are very serious in our anti-drug campaign, talagang diinan mo yung mga pulis na lumalayas sa drug test,” the lawmaker told Sinas.
“Kasi positive talaga yan, siguradong user yan ‘pag umiiwas. Kaya dapat talaga dismissed kaagad ‘yung mga ganung klaseng offenses. Didiinan ninyo please, para naman malinis yung ating internal cleansing program sa PNP,” the senator explained.
The Mindanaoan senator also asked the PNP chief why an erring policeman like killer cop Jonel Nuezca remained in the service despite his involvement in various cases, including a drug testing evasion and homicide prior to the murder of a mother and son in Tarlac recently.
In reply, Sinas made it clear that Nuezca remained in the police organization because the case of evading drug test filed against him on April 8, 2014 was only considered a “less grave” offense then, and cannot be a ground for dismissal from service.
“An offense considered as grave misconduct could be penalized by dismissal from the service.”
Sinas added that such policy was amended during the term of Dela Rosa as chief of the police force where such offense was considered as grave misconduct and could be penalized by dismissal from the service.
“Binago niyo po Sir, nung kayo na ang Chief PNP nung 2016…Binigatan po natin Sir yung penalty nung 2016. Ginawa nating grave misconduct, Sir,” Sinas explained.
Dela Rosa was the first Chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration and has led the police force in the war on drugs.