Erring policemen who would be caught especially by the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) may end up being deployed in Marawi City and other areas where the presence of the Maute Group is monitored.
PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he is contemplating on the move after personally seeing the hardships of local policemen and members of the police elite forces who have been battling the Maute gunmen since Tuesday last week.
“Maybe the next batches who will be caught because I have been comparing the situation of our forces there and that of these scalawag policemen,” said Dela Rosa.
“While they (scalawag cops) are enjoying their air-conditioned rooms, enjoying the fruits of their criminal labor and contemplating on how they would earn money, our forces there are fighting for survival there,” he added.
Seeing the situation of police forces in Marawi City, according to Dela Rosa, only further increased his anger over scalawag cops especially in Metro Manila.
It was recalled that there were a number of policemen who were caught by the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF), the recent were 11 policemen mostly in Malabon who abducted a woman and demanded R1 million and a kilo of shabu as ransom.
“I am really frustrated at these scalawag policemen who continue to tarnish the image of the PNP,” said Dela Rosa.
The deployment of errant cops in conflict-torn areas is not something new under the leadership of Dela Rosa.
Last year, more than a hundred policemen from Metro Manila and Central Luzon were sent to Moro and communist rebel-infested areas after they were implicated to the illegal drugs trade.
Recently, nearly a hundred policemen from Metro Manila were sent to Basilan to battle with the Abu Sayyaf.
Dela Rosa, however, said that he could no longer send those who are already facing administrative and criminal charges, including the Malabon cops, as they are already detained. (AARON RECUENCO)