Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez yesterday said they don’t have evidence to pin down some police generals linked to illegal drugs.
“We have no evidence that there are active generals involved in drugs. It’s a work in progress,” said Marquez.
Marquez’s statement came on the heels of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s warning against three generals allegedly involved in corruption.
In his speech during a thanksgiving rally in Davao City Saturday, Duterte asked the unnamed three police generals not to wait for his formal assumption and resign this early to prevent being humiliated.
Marquez admitted receiving reports about the alleged illegal activities of some police generals, but none of these have been proven.
“We are receiving reports sometimes through text messages and the usual routine is for the Intelligence Group to validate then. We really have raw information before,” said Marquez.
“As a matter of fact, we deployed special teams of the AIDG (Anti-Illegal Drugs Group) in the Visayas but until now, the work is in progress. We still have no evidence to support the information about the involvement of active generals,” he added.
Marquez said they cannot force an official to resign “because there are also processes that must be followed to dismiss erring personnel.”
Based on PNP records, at least 91 policemen are currently facing administrative charges in connection with illegal drugs activities, the highest rank is Superintendent, which is equivalent to lieutenant colonel in the military.
In 2014, 23 were slapped with administrative cases in connection with drug-related offenses: one is superintendent, two are senior inspector (captain), eight are Senior Police Officer 1, five are Police Officer 3, one Police Officer 2 and six rookie cops.
In 2015, the rookie policemen implicated in illegal drugs rose to 36, eight Police Officer 2 were also charged, 15 cops with a rank of Police Officer 3, six SPO1s, one SPO2, one Senior Inspector and one Chief Inspector (Major).
In a separate interview, incoming chief PNP Chief Supt. Ronald dela Rosa said he would prefer killing all cops involved in drugs due to the slow progress of the due process.
In most cases, he said the erring cops would just post bail and worse, are able to return to the police service.
(AARON B. RECUENCO)