Pimentel: Cops have right to be informed of drug accusations against them

Top officials and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have the right to be informed of any accusations linking them to the illicit drug trade, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Thursday.

The lawmaker made the remark as he criticized anew Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr.'s call for high-ranking PNP officials to submit their courtesy resignation in a bid to cleanse the ranks from cops allegedly linked to illegal drug trade.

Pimentel reiterated that the call was "too general and too broad" and may affect the morale of the police force as the request covers even those who have outstanding performance.

"Ang sinabi kasi drugs e, may mga involved sa drugs. Therefore, [there is a] right to be informed—kakasuhan ka, ito 'yung mga ebidensyang hawak namin laban sa inyo, e di alam mo," he said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(The claim is that there are top police officials involved in the drug trade. Therefore, there is a right for them to be informed—they will be charged and they should be informed of the pieces of evidence gathered against them so that they are aware of the accusations against them.)

"Hindi 'yung may secret committee of five na mag-eevaluate ng hawak namin. Malabo po 'yung ganon. Masyadong broad, apektado lahat pati 'yung malinis at magagaling at 'yung final process may pagka-secret e, hindi maganda unlike 'yung kakasuhan ka may administrative case ka man or criminal case, you have the right to be informed of the accusation against you," he added.

Abalos must have pursued a case-to-case approach in addressing the problem, Pimentel said as he believed that there was already an initial information about the rogue cops when they conducted the press conference on Wednesday.

"In the first place, kung sundan mo 'yung ganong statement, ibig sabihin n'on dapat at that point nung presscon na 'yon may hawak na dapat ang secretary non e, may hawak ka na," he said.

(If you will make that statement, that means you already have the information when you conducted the press conference.)

"Pa'no mo nasabi na marami sa kapulisan sa matataas na ranggo involved sa drugs? You must have something. Therefore follow what you have and file it on a case to case basis, individual to individual basis," he added.

(How can you say that there are high-ranking police officers who are involved in the drug trade? You must have something. Therefore, follow what you have and file it on a case to case basis.)

Further, Pimentel asserted that police officers have the right not to submit their resignation letters as it is not violative of any PNP regulations.

"Ang hindi pagsa-submit ng courtesy resignation ay karapatan ng pulis officer. Wala siyang bina-violate na even regulasyon ng pulis. Wala, kasi panawagan lang," he said.

(Non-submission of courtesy resignation is a right of a police officer because he is not violating any rules and regulations of the PNP. That's a mere call.)

However, Pimentel said it will be a different issue if policemen will be pressured to submit their resignations without a clear order from the leadership.

"'Yung sinasabi mo nga na meron palang pressure o pag-iinitan ka, ibang usapan na 'yon kasi ibig sabihin non e ginagawa ng kaliwang kamay 'yung hindi pwedeng gawin ng kanang kamay. Hindi mo nga pwedeng isulat sa papel at pwersahin pero mananawagan ka na 'courtesy resignation lang ha' pero sa reyalidad ng buhay may mga pressure, pressure ka na ilalagay," he said.

(But pressuring the police officers is a completely different matter. They might be calling for the submission of courtesy resignation but in reality, they will be pressured to submit one.)

Pimentel on Wednesday tagged as "unfair and illogical" Abalos' call for high-ranking officials in the PNP to resign.

Losing patience

Senator JV Ejercito said the "drastic" call was made by Abalos as he was probably "losing his patience" due to the reports of the resurgence of police officers who are allegedly involved in the illicit drug trade.

In a privilege speech last December, former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said that drug syndicates are back and they have returned with a vengeance.

"Probably si  Secretary Abalos was losing his patience already because there a lot of information yung drug trade dito sa atin mukhang nanumbalik," Ejercito said.

"Sometimes kasi it happens a when a new admin comes in talagang sinusubukan ito ng mga sindikato...Sa akin sa mga PNP officers if they are not guilty, if their conscience is clear then why not submit their courtesy resignation anyway there will be a five-man team that will be formed for fact finding," he added.

Asked if President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. must give a strong statement against illegal drugs, Ejercito said this will certainly help as any statement from the chief executive is considered a policy already.

"Baka akala nila na since wala na si President Duterte... akala ng ibang sindikato pwede na because as you mentioned wala pang strong statement, but I think very soon. Let us wait for the president to come back. I'm sure that he will act on the matter as soon as possible," he said.

"War against drugs will continue. Siguro not the same intensity probably, but I remember nag-issue na si President Bongbong Marcos na there is no let up on the war against drugs," he added.

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. said he sees nothing wrong with Abalos' call for top PNP officials to resign.

He said this may be "good for confidence-building" among the country's leadership, the PNP, and the public.

"This will show that everyone is accountable and no one is untouchable. Even the Chief PNP and chaplains are not spared," Revilla said in a statement.

"Ipinapakita nito na kaisa ang lahat sa pagbabalik ng tiwala ng publiko sa pulisya - especially the highest ranking officers," he added.

Revilla believes that this call will not be an "indictment" against the PNP but a measure that shows that the policemen serve at the pleasure and trust of the public.

"The PNP holds its personnel to the highest standards - lalo na yung mga nasa mabababang ranggo na araw-araw nating nakikita. It's good to show that the organization also holds those in the highest ranks to at least same standards," the senator said. "Maganda na makita yan ng publiko," he said.

At a press conference Wednesday morning, Abalos called on all full colonels and generals, including PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., to submit their courtesy resignation as he expressed concern over the involvement of high-ranking police officers in illicit drug trade.

A five-member committee will review the resignations of the police officers, Abalos said.

The DILG chief refused to identify the members of the committee, but said he is not one of them.—AOL, GMA Integrated News