118 scalawag cops reassigned in Basilan now in combat operations

As part of the internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police (PNP), only 118 of the police “scalawags” comprising of 11 Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 107 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) have reported for Basilan as of Thursday. (Photo: Philippine National Police/ Facebook)

MANILA—As part of the internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police (PNP), only 118 of the police “scalawags” comprising of 11 Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 107 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) have reported for Basilan as of Thursday.

The reassigned policemen in Basilan are now working as part of Task Force Basilan and are deployed in different municipal police stations.

In the original strength of 309, three had amended orders placing them in the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management-Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (DPRM-PHAU) and seven had cancellation of orders and remained in their previous assignments.

A total of 181 are still in absent without official leave (AWOL) status or those who did not attempt to report to Police Regional Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM).

Last Feb.21, the first batch was airlifted to Zamboanga City wherein only 54 and two of them later had cancellation of orders.

Another 66 reported within the past two weeks wherein nine of them just returned to PNP control on March 6, 2017 and are still paying courtesy call to the PRO-ARMM Command Group and staff.

In the processing of the newly-assigned personnel, two NCOs with ranks of PO2 from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) yielded positive for the use of illegal drugs.

PRO-ARRM regional director Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac manifested the subsequent filing of appropriate charges against the two confirmed drug users and those who went AWOL.

Sindac ordered the creation of a Task Force that would handle and resolve the AWOL cases of the erring personnel.

He said that the deployment of cops would determine their loyalty to service and measure their bravery and dedication to duty.