NCRPO reiterates ‘one-strike policy’ vs. narco-cops

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MANILA — Police officials and personnel assigned with anti-illegal drug enforcement units (DEUs) in Metro Manila will be relieved under a ‘one-strike policy’ once any of their members will be proven as involved in recycling illegal drugs.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar made the announcement during a meeting with all chiefs of 44 drug enforcement units in the NCRPO at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City Tuesday.

The police districts under NCRPO are the Manila Police District, Quezon City Police District, Northern Police District (covers the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela), Southern Police District (covers Makati, Paranaque, Taguig, Las Pinas, Pateros, and Muntinlupa), and Eastern Police District (covers Marikina, Pasig, San Juan, and Mandaluyong).

Eleazar said the one-strike policy for all the DEU commanders seeks to ensure that a zero-tolerance policy against policemen involved in illegal drugs activities is strictly observed.

“I’m reiterating once again the ‘one-strike policy’ for any member of your drug enforcement unit who has been proven based on our judgment as involved in illegal drugs. They will be relieved for investigation and you will be relieved also as chief of police or station commander in the case of drug enforcement unit,” he told the DEU commanders.

Based on the new guideline, the head of the drug enforcement unit will immediately be relieved even if only one of his men is caught involved in selling and even in using shabu and other illegal drugs.

The station commander will be sacked once his men are involved in recycling drugs. The same policy will also be observed at the district level wherein the head of the district drug enforcement will also be booted out of his post if even a single member is arrested for links to illegal drugs.

The district director will also be immediately relieved, according to Eleazar.

“This is part of our Intensified Cleanliness Policy. We have to exert all efforts to clean our ranks because all our anti-illegal drugs accomplishments, all the good intentions of the government to finally end this drug problem will be futile because of this handful of scalawags in our ranks,” he stressed.

Eleazar said that he had already relieved more than 500 anti-drugs operatives in NCR, starting when he was the district director of the QCPD and when he became the NCRPO director.

“As a result of this policy, our police personnel in all levels now maintain a keen eye on their companions for fear of getting penalized and their jobs jeopardized because of possible indiscriminate practices of the man next to him,” Eleazar said.

“Every policeman is now alert and vigilant, and fully aware of his surroundings. As a result, the NCRPO has not recorded any drug-related incident involving its active members in the past several months,” he added.

The NCRPO chief said the continuous drop in crime rate is due to their intensified police intervention and campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes.

“Partly, this can be attributed to more active police interventions and increased vigilance of our citizens during this period brought about by strong public awareness through the media,” Eleazar said.

Last week, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino said several sources have confirmed that corrupt anti-narcotics agents use the apprehended illegal drugs either to sell them or use these as planted evidence in bogus anti-drug operations.

Aquino also disclosed that the recycling of illegal drugs is still rampant and that some erring cops have been protecting shabu queen operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

To further maximize the monitoring of erring cops, Eleazar met with Aquino last week to compare notes and share information against the so-called ninja cops, or those involved in the recycling of illegal drugs.

He will also meet with other law enforcement agencies which may have some information on the identities of scalawag Metro Manila policemen.

“This should be a whole-intelligence community approach, a whole-government approach,” said Eleazar.

He said public participation will also play a significant role in going after policemen engaged in illegal drugs.