Año orders Albayalde to eliminate ‘bad eggs’ from police force

FILE: As they intensify their internal cleansing program, Incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Oscar Albayalde was ordered by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to eliminate ‘bad eggs’ from the police force. (Photo: PNP NCRPO)

As they intensify their internal cleansing program, Incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Oscar Albayalde was ordered by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to eliminate ‘bad eggs’ from the police force.

In a speech on Sunday, April 8, Año noted that his first directive to the incoming PNP chief was to go after and dismiss from service all PNP personnel “who are a disgrace to their uniform, especially those who are AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave), sleeping, non-performing, and drinking on the job.”

“I told General Albayalde to cleanse the police ranks of bad eggs in order to make the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) the best department in government. The PNP leadership should conduct more of the surprise inspections so that we can weed out the non-performing police officer,” Año said.

The internal cleansing or the removal of rogue cops from the police force was among the priorities of the current PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. As part of this program, the PNP even created the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) whose main task is to hunt down erring policemen involved in illegal activities.

“As the next PNP chief, I expect General Albayalde to double his efforts to cleanse the ranks of police scalawags that tarnish the image of the entire police organization,” Año stressed.

Expressing confidence in the next top cop’s leadership, Año added that the PNP can deliver President Rodrigo Duterte’s promise to eradicate illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption in the country.

Albayalde is the incumbent National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) regional director and served as the chief of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office. He was also dela Rosa’s batchmate at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Sinagtala Class of 1986.

Dela Rosa, who is set to retire on April 21, confirmed on Friday that he personally recommended Albayalde to the President to be his successor, believing that the outgoing Metro Manila police chief will be able to continue the administration’s war against illegal drugs and the PNP’s campaign against scalawag policemen.

Albayalde, for his part, said that these programs are ought to be continued as this was a promise made by the President. He also vowed to proceed with the investigation being conducted by the PNP on the drug-related killings and to fully cooperate with other government agencies in conducting inquiry on the matter.