Over 200 cops penalized with dismissal, demotion for failure to attend court hearings — PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday at least 221 cops were penalized for not showing up during court hearings in cases filed against arrested suspects in police operations.

In a statement, the PNP said 83 police personnel were dismissed from the service, 31 were demoted, 92 were suspended, while five were reprimanded from January 2020 to June 3 this year.

At least 10 of the 83 cops dismissed from the service were related to illegal drugs cases filed by the police organization.

This report of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management is in compliance with the order of PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar order to account for cops snubbing court hearings.

It covered cops who are either “deliberately snubbing court hearings to testify or those who neglect to perform their duty of testifying in court against criminal suspects that they would arrest.”

Eleazar said the punishments showed that the PNP is serious in correcting erring cops.

“Effective law enforcement demands that criminal elements are not only arrested but are also punished through conviction,” he said.

“So policemen who can’t justify why they failed to appear in court to testify will definitely face administrative cases,” he added.

According to the PNP, there are still 1,428 pending administrative cases being resolved for non-appearance in both drug and non-drug related cases. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News