PNP chief orders automatic loan payment deductions going to 6 co-ops stopped

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday directed the agency's Finance Service to temporarily stop the automatic loan payment deductions from PNP personnel's salaries to six multipurpose cooperatives after several complaints.

Dela Rosa said that they have received complaints from 74 PNP employees about six multipurpose cooperatives, which allegedly "imposed excessive interest rates and prolonged the term of payment of loans without the prior knowledge of the complainants."

The complainants, who are composed of retired and active personnel, are mostly from Mindanao. Twenty have the rank of Police Officer 3, while 16 are Police Officers 2.

"I am reiterating my instruction to all PNP unit commanders to look upon the welfare of their personnel and ensure that no PNP personnel will be aggrieved by these loan sharks,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said that automatic loan payment deductions to the following multipurpose cooperatives will be permanently stopped if they are proven to have abused their debtors:

• Government Civil Servants Multi-Purpose Cooperative (GCSMPC);
• Kooperatiba ng Pulis at Sundalo Multi-Purpose Cooperative (KOOPULIS MPC);
• Pulis Kapit Bisig Multi-Purpose Cooperative ( PKBMPC);
• Tagapagtaguyod Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TMPC);
• Yaman at Kabuhayan ng Kawal at Pulis Multi-Purpose Cooperative (YAKKAP MPC); and
• Finance Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FFMPC).

He also ordered the PNP Finance Service to continue conducting an inventory of police personnel who may have been victimized by loan sharks and to come up with solutions.

"Kami ayaw namin ma-agrabiyado 'yung aming pulis, kailangan hindi sila malulugi sa kanilang transaksyon but at the same time, we also see to it that our policemen are in good moral standing: pag mangutang ka, bayaran mo," Dela Rosa said.

"Wala kaming alam kung sinong may kasalanan, yung nangutang ba o inutangan, basta importante 'wag kaming idadamay sa problema nila," he added.

Those police employees who have loans with the said multipurpose cooperatives will have to settle their debts personally, said Dela Rosa.

"Kolektahin niyo doon individually 'yung pinapautang ninyo, ikaw namang pulis ka gusto mo mangutang, pumunta ka doon, magbayad ka sa inutangan mo personally, 'wag mo ng gamitin yung Finance Service para wala nang issue kasi ayaw natin yung korupsyon eh," Dela Rosa said.

The Finance Service's director, Chief Superintendent Lyndon Cubos, said that they will meet with the six multi-purpose cooperatives on Tuesday to discuss the issue. — BM, GMA News