Dela Rosa turns down PNPA chief resignation

FILE: This was the response of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on the resignation that was offered by the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Director Chief Supt. Joseph Adnol, following the beating incident after the PNPA commencement exercises on March 21. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

“My answer was no, you don’t have to resign.”

This was the response of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on the resignation that was offered by the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Director Chief Supt. Joseph Adnol, following the beating incident after the PNPA commencement exercises on March 21.

“Hindi mo kasalanan ‘yan. Gawin mo lang properly yung investigation at siguruhin mo na ma-stop ‘yang tradition na iyan (It is not your fault. Just do the investigation properly and make sure that this tradition will stop),” Dela Rosa said.

The top cop said Adnol called him up last weekend and offered his resignation, saying that he felt “ashamed” over the incident. He added that Adnol, who is a graduate of the PNPA Class of 1985, was shocked because “there is now this kind of tradition in the PNPA. It was not being done during our time in the academy.”

Last week, six graduates of the PNPA Maragtas Class of 2018 were beaten up by their underclassmen inside the locker room after the graduation rites, where President Rodrigo Duterte was the guest of honor and speaker.

The beating incident happened between 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. when the upperclassmen were heading back to their barracks after their graduation.

According to a police report from Silang Municipal Police Station, the graduates who were beaten up were identified as Police Inspectors Ylam Lambenecio, Arjay Divino, Mark Kevin Villares, Floyd Traqueña, Jan Paul Magmoyao, and Jail Inspector Arjay Marcaida Cuasay.

Meanwhile, nine of the underclassmen who initiated the “tradition” were: Cadet 2nd Class Donald Ramirez Kissing, Cadet 2nd Class Delos Santos, Cadet 2nd Class Jem Camcam Peralta, Cadet 2nd Class Clint John Baguidodol, Cadet 2nd Class Christopher De Guzman Macalalad; Cadet 2nd Class Loreto Aquino Tuliao Jr., Cadet 2nd Class Calamba, Cadet 2nd Class Coplat, and Cadet 2nd Class Amanon.

The reported mauling incident involved 41 cadets who are now being investigated.

Based on the PNPA’s initial probe, the underclassmen wanted to get back at their upperclassmen because of the strict rules that they imposed.

“Ang lumalabas itong mga upperclass na ito sila yung mga strict in the implementation ng mga policies and of course sila yung laging namumuno don if there are violations (What seemed to happen is that these upperclassmen, they are strict in implementing policies, and of course, they are the one who lead in the academy if there are violations),” Adnol said.

Dela Rosa earlier said that this tradition needs to stop because if this will continue, there will be “a system of payback” annually. He added that such incident saddens him as it promoted a cycle of beating among the year differences of batches.