Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa yesterday urged the public to report rogue policemen as it launched the Counter-Intelligence Task Force tasked to run after scalawags in its ranks.
Dela Rosa said the public can report rogue policemen to 0998-9702286.
“We are announcing to you the official hotline of CITF so that the public can send their complaints, information, and everything relative to erring policemen, especially scalawags,” said Dela Rosa. “Our focus now is on extortion, abuses, lack of discipline. Please use this number 0998-9702286,” he added.
The CITF, headed by Senior Supt. Chiquito Malayo, was created as part of President Duterte’s order for the PNP to focus on internal cleansing due to the involvement of cops in illegal activities, particularly those of anti-narcotics policemen in the kidnap-slay of a South Korean executive.
Malayo said that the CITF was initially given 100 personnel, including a company of the elite PNP Special Action Force.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government has accepted the apology extended by the Philippines over the Jee kidnap-slay case but expected a swift pursuit of justice against the culprits.
Upon the order of President Duterte, chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo traveled to South Korea and met Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn last Friday to offer the state’s profound apology and assurance to bring to justice those involved in the murder of Jee.
“Prime Minister Hwang accepted my offer of apology on behalf of the Philippine government and noted that President Duterte apologized as well to the widow of Mr. Jee Ick Joo,” Panelo said. “Aside from declaring his optimism that the incident shall deter the commission of similar crimes against Korean nationals in the Philippines, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn also expressed his expectation that swift justice will be delivered to the family of Mr. Jee,” Panelo added. (Aaron B. Recuenco and Genalyn D. Kabiling)