55 erring policemen to undergo reformation program in Subic
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:04:11 +0000
FIFTY-FIVE policemen have been sent to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Agency (SBMA) in Zambales to undergo reformation as part of the Philippine National Police (PNP) internal cleansing program.
The 30-day focus reorientation and moral enhancement for police officers are in line with the national police’s effort to “correct misdemeanors and other less serious prohibited acts committed by erring police officers,” said PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday in a press briefing.
Called the “form police,” the training sought to “instill discipline, change the attitude and perception, re-orient and re-educate, enhance the character and aptitude of policemen with grave offenses.”
Coming from different units with various offenses, the policemen will stay in a “small” facility of PNP Values and Leadership School, where they will be reformed in a month.
“Let me emphasize this is not punishment but restorative approach internal cleansing,” Albayalde said.
At least 5,582 police officers with resolved administrative cases would undergo retraining but this would be done by batch because the facility could only accommodate up to 60 policemen.
Under the new program, police officers will be divided into squads with 6-8 members and led by squad leader who has the rank of at least staff sergeant.
All the police in the program have administrative cases but not for dismissal. Others whose offenses warrant a dismissal from service, such as extortion and drug use, will automatically be rejected from the program.
“Ito yung pwede pang i-correct na mga cases, pag may nagkamali we are serious,[ These are the cases that we can correct, if there’ wrongdoing, we are serious]” the PNP chief said.
Once finished with the training, the policemen will be designated to other units, of which they were not previously a part of.
“Other units na lang sila para hindi nila magawa yung dati nilang ginawa,[The should stay with other units, so that they will not commit the same mistakes],” Albayalde said.
Crimes and offenses committed by the policemen who would undergo retraining were crimes against persons, crimes against property, bribery, Absence without leave (AWOL), Irregularity in the performance of duty, procedural lapse in handling drug cases, among others. DARWIN PESCO