PNP: 11 police bashers deployed to Sulu

Eleven policemen who bashed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albaylde on social media were deployed to Sulu, the PNP announced on Wednesday, May 10. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

Eleven policemen who bashed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albaylde on social media were deployed to Sulu, the PNP announced on Wednesday, May 10.

“They have been relieved and reassigned to Sulu because Sulu lacks personnel for the maintenance of peace and security in that area,” PNP spokesperson John Bulalacao said.

Bulalacao said the order was effective on Wednesday and these police officers will be reassigned at the Police Regional Office – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

He maintained that this reassignment is not a form of punishment but to prevent them from influencing other policemen to do the same.

“They will be appropriately charged for conduct unbecoming of a police officer,” he said.

Albayalde on Tuesday, May 8, summoned the 11 police officers but only nine, including a Senior Inspector, responded and appeared at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

According to the top cop, these uniformed men were identified by the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) as those were badmouthing him on the Facebook page “Buhay Lespu (Life of a Police Officer).”

“Well kinausap ko lang naman sila, binash ko lang din sila, ‘de biro lang (I talked to them, I also bashed them, just kidding), I talked to them, I made them realize na mali ang ginagawa ng mga ganyan (that what they did was wrong) because sabi ko nga (as I have said) we are in the uniform service, under the constitution…we have limited although we practice freedom of speech,” Albayalde said.

“Of course, there’ll be filed cases also. Hindi naman palalampasin ‘yon, iyong ginawa nilang ganon (We cannot let it pass) so they will be charged with conduct unbecoming and that can be a reason for their dismissal from the service,” he added.

The PNP chief noted that these nine policemen are mostly assigned in the Aviation Security Group’s units in Cavite, Navotas, Cordillera, and Leyte.

The two other policemen who did not show up will be summoned again in his office and if they fail to report again, additional charges for disobedience will be filed against them.

Albaylde further said that he will be meeting 20 more uniformed personnel, also suspected of criticizing him online, in the days to come.