In the wake of the latest hazing scandal plaguing the Philippine National Police (PNP) the Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list is calling for the transfer of the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) under the control of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
PBA Party-list Spokesperson Atty. Migs Nograles argued that placing the PNP-IAS under the direct supervision of the DILG secretary would make it “an independent, impartial, and effective institutional guardian of integrity.”
“As the office that oversees the conduct of PNP personnel, the IAS is an essential part of the disciplinary mechanism of the PNP and thus should be free from influence, pressure, and intervention from the Chief PNP, and other higher ranking PNP officers adjudicating administrative cases,” she stressed.
“The IAS is an essential part of the disciplinary mechanism of the PNP and thus should be free from influence, pressure, and intervention.”
“This freedom from influence, pressure, and intervention is important especially if the IAS is investigating PNP personnel who are of higher rank than the chief of the IAS,” the aspiring lawmaker added.
The IAS serves as the monitoring body of the character and behavior of all police personnel and operates as the investigating and adjudicatory body on all administrative offenses committed by uniformed and non-uniformed members of the PNP.
The PBA Party-list, through incumbent Rep. Jericho Nograles’ House Bill No, 3965, is pushing for the strengthening of the IAS and placing it under the control of the DILG secretary.
HB No. 3965 amends Republic Act No. 8851, or the Philippine National Police Reorganization Act of 1998, and transfers the supervision of the IAS from the PNP to the DILG.
The proposed law also mandates the IAS to conduct, motu propio, investigations on “all anomalies, irregularities and illegal activities involving uniformed personnel.”
“The proposed law mandates the IAS to conduct, motu propio, investigations on “all anomalies, irregularities and illegal activities involving uniformed personnel.”
Nograles called on the IAS to hasten its investigation on the possible lapses committed by PNPA officials.
PNPA Cadet 3rd Class George Karl Magsayo, 21, died on September 24 after allegedly being punched in the stomach five times by Cadet 2nd Class Steven Maingat, 23, the day before.
Magsayo was rushed to Qualimed Hospital in Santa Rosa, Laguna, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar subsequently relieved Major General Rhoderick Armamento, Director of the PNPA, and transferred him to the PNP Directorate for Information and Communication Technology in Camp Crame.
In 2019, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11279 transferring the PNPA and the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) from the Philippine Public Safety College to the PNP in a bid to “beef up” the agency’s internal cleansing efforts.
