MANILA—Chief Superintendent Ronald Marapon de la Rosa, the incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, on Thursday said his leadership will be conducting its own internal cleansing campaign among the 160,000-strong PNP personnel with the policy on transparency and anti-corruption campaign.
Dela Rosa said as soon as he assumes the PNP chief post he will make sure to clean within his ranks first before working on another organization so that they can work in order.
“That is why the internal cleansing in the ranks of our policemen is a must,” he said.
“We already have the list of the officials who are involved in illegal drugs and we are going to start right away when I become the PNP chief,” he added.
Dela Rosa reminded his fellow policemen that he will be a strict father figure to those under his supervision and will discipline officials who are involved in illegal acts especially those involved in drugs.
“I encourage the policemen involved in illegal drugs to resign. The government is paying you to arrest drug personalities and now you are receiving money from drug lords,” he noted.
He admitted that a lot of officials will be under investigation once he assumes post.
“We cannot say there are no official involved when the people know about it. This is not the time for cover ups. This is the time to punish these officials,” Dela Rosa stated.
He added that they are serious in PNP anti-crime efforts, even if there are fellow policemen involved in crime they will arrest and file case against them.
Prior to being handpicked by the presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, Dela Rosa was one of the three top choices for the said position.
Duterte’s other contenders for PNP Chief were Supt. Ramon Apolinario, officer-in-charge of the Mimaropa Region, and Sr. Supt. Rene Aspera, the chief of staff of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group.
Dela Rosa assured that the two officials will be given different positions once he assumed the new PNP chief post.
“Supt. Ramon Apolinario and Sr. Supt. Rene Aspera already have their designated position. We have already talked about the new positions to be given to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor assured there would be no demoralization on their part following the entry of a new leadership under Dela Rosa.
With the appointment of Dela Rosa who is a product of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1986, three batches had been surpassed particularly class ’84 and ’85.
Under Republic Act 6975 or the law establishing the PNP, any police official with the rank of Chief Superintendent or higher may qualify for appointment as PNP chief.
Mayor said it is the prerogative of the President to choose his PNP chief, adding that the organization looks at the procedure professionally and objectively.
He assured that there is no class barrier among them and the appointment on Dela Rosa should not be an issue.
Mayor stressed that the PNP is a professional organization and that demoralization has no place at the institution.
Earlier, as soon as President-elect Duterte begins his administration, the current chief PNP, Director General Ricardo Marquez, who is a member of PMA Class 1982, will hand over his courtesy resignation letter to the new commander-in-chief.
Marquez pointed out that the submission of resignation is just normal specially that a new administration will come.
He added that any government official including the PNP chief serves at the pleasure, trust and confidence of the commander in chief.
Marquez said that it would all be up to the next chief executive if it would accept his resignation or will be told to finish his tenure at the PNP set on August as his retirement date simultaneous to the advent of his 56th birthday, the mandatory retirement age both for police and military.