Only 53 erring cops to fly to Basilan Tuesday

Only 53 out of 310 policemen showed up at Camp Bagong Diwa early Tuesday following their reassignment order to Basilan.

LOOK: 53 pulis (out of 310) ang babiyahe papuntang Basilan ngayong umaga. Nakaalis na sa Camp Bagong Diwa papuntang Villamor Air Base. pic.twitter.com/1kVegXPFf2

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 20, 2017

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Saturday confirmed that the deployment of about 200 erring members of the National Capital Region Police Office to Basilan will start on Tuesday.

Dela Rosa also said that those who would not report will be considered as "automatic AWOL."

“Ang order ko ay siguruhin na silang lahat ay mag-report sa Basilan as instructed by the President,” he added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff General Eduardo Año had earlier welcomed the arrival of additional police personnel in Basilan.

"Makakatulong din sa atin 'yung PNP. Makadadagdag ng manpower sa areas na iyan so mapi-free 'yung AFP forces sa mga lugar na iyan so we can have more warm bodies to run after the Abu Sayyaf," Año said in a late Saturday night press conference.

Año said the reassigned cops will cover urban areas while the armed forces will be in charge of the rebel lairs.

"Their main job is to take care of town centers, urban centers so that the AFP will concentrate in the hinterlands," he said.

"Malaking tulong iyan sa mga urban at town centers lalo na sa pagmamanman ng mga checkpoint at pag-conduct ng mga civil-military operations," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier ordered the reassignment of more than 200 erring cops in Metro Manila to Basilan for two years.

"Bata pa naman kayong lahat. Kailangan ko ng pulis sa south (Mindanao). Kulang ang pulis sa Basilan kasi maya't maya pinagpaputok-putok ang mga istasyon doon. Nauubos. Kayong lahat nandito, kasali kayo sa Task Force South. Padala ko kayo sa Basilan," Duterte said.

"Tumira kayo doon ng dalawang taon. Kung lumusot kayo buhay, balik kayo dito. Doon kayo mamatay, sabihin ko sa pulis na huwag na gumasto para dalhin pa kayo dito, doon na kayo ilibing," Duterte added.

Dela Rosa told that erring cops who will be deployed to Basilan have derogatory records, most of them are facing criminal and administrative cases, including robbery extorion. Some of them were also said to be tested positive for illegal drugs, but most only had minor cases.

He also said that even those without derogatory records should be ready to be transferred anywhere in the Philippines.

"Kahit na wala silang offense, there is no problem bringing them to Basilan because they took oath as members of the Philippine National Police not Quezon City Police only, not Manila Police, so they can be assigned anywhere in the Philippines," he said.

"So may offense man sila o wala, we have the prerogative as mandated by law na pwede natin silang i-deploy anywhere in the Philippines," Dela Rosa added. —Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/KG, GMA News