'Isolated cases' do not bespeak of PNP's discipline, says NCRPO chief

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde on Friday defended the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying incidents involving erring policemen cannot define its overall level of discipline as an organization.

"I can assure you that these incidents [do] not bespeak of the level of discipline that we have here in the Philippine National Police, especially now that our chief is so emphatic and so emotional on these things,” Albayalde told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Crame.

Albayalde's statement came a day after Senator Panfilo Lacson showed a video of some policemen allegedly planting illegal drugs as evidence to a crime.

The said video was shown during Thursday’s Senate inquiry on the alleged "tokhang for ransom" cases — or extortion activity done in the guise of an anti-illegal drug operation — involving policemen.

Albayalde said the policemen in the video have already been relieved from the post.

In defense, Albayalde said these "isolated cases" already happened in the past, even before the term of Director General Ronald Dela Rosa as PNP chief.

"These isolated cases... happened even before, maraming ganun," he said. "It [so] happened that it's during the time ni General Dela Rosa, 'yun lang siguro."

What is important, the NCRPO chief noted, that the PNP does not condone these acts. "Ang masama diyan is if you tolerate those things to happen. 'Yun ang sigurong mali," he said.

"Kaya mabilis ang action ng ating chief PNP dito. Outright, pero nandun pa rin ‘yung due process," he added. —KBK, GMA News