MANILA – High-ranking police officials who fail to show efforts in eradicating crime in their localities can be relieved from their post in six weeks, according to Chief Superintendent Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, PNP director for operations.
“We give them our evaluation we tell them to beef up their efforts, double their efforts and on the first month we will be eyeing people to be relieved most especially chiefs of police (COPs) and PD (Provincial Director)and DRDO (Deputy Regional Director for Operations),” Cascola told reporters.
“There are COPs eyed for relief because they are doing nothing after the 6th week a lot of them will be relieved if they have no effort most especially in cities and first class provinces and municipalities (while), on the 3rd month RDs naman po ang aalis dyan kung hindi talaga magawa trabaho nila,” he noted.
Asked if the local officials are consulted on appointment of their COPs, Cascolan said that “we actually ask even the governors and mayors kasi parehas din lang. pumili man sila ng hepe o hindi kung hindi nagbigay ng efforts ang COPs for a span of six weeks whether he was chosen or not by the mayor he will be relieved but as a matter of respect actually we still confer with the mayors, cities and provinces.”
He said that the basis of relief from post of these police officials is the crime rate in their localities.
However, Cascolan said for those who are performing police officers will be promoted in good post as those in the national headquarters, regional and provincial headquarters will be given a chance to be a COP.
Meanwhile, Cascolan expressed optimism that the crime volume will continue to decline as the PNP intensifies police operations against drug-related criminal activities in the succeeding months.
From a high of 52,950 registered in January, the Total Crime Volume steadily dipped by 13 percent through the first and second quarters of the year, down to only 46,060 crime incidents in June.
In the PNP’s assessment, Cascolan said, the ongoing two-pronged national anti-drug campaign under “Project Double Barrel” is expected to further boost the overall anti-crime effort, citing the correlation of drug use to other forms of index crime involving crimes against persons and crimes against property.
Over the last 21 days since Project Double Barrel was implemented in July 1, the PNP has recorded a national total of 3,213 arrested drug personalities during separate police operations by local and national PNP Units.
As of July 22, a total of 239 drug suspects were slain in police operations.
Under “Oplan Tokhang” or house visitations on residences of suspected drug personalities, a total of 120,038 voluntarily yielded to authorities, among them, 112,902 drug users and, 7,107 pushers.