1,370 cops related to candidates reshuffled
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2019 10:09:59 +0000
Philippine National Police chief Police General Oscar Albayalde yesterday approved the reshuffle of 1,370 police officers related by blood or affinity to candidates in the 2019 midterm elections.
At the same time, the PNP issued resignation orders to five police personnel who were deemed resigned from the police service upon the filing of their Certificates of Candidacy for local elective posts, Albayalde added.
The reshuffle is an administrative measure to ensure impartiality and non-partisan enforcement of the law by police personnel, particularly in areas where they have relatives who are candidates for local elective positions.
The move was likewise applied to 121 provincial directors, city directors, mobile force commanders, and chiefs of police who have reached the maximum two years tour of duty in their assignments.
“As non-partisan and deputized law enforcement agency of the Commission on Elections, we strongly and firmly remain faithful to our apolitical mandate to ensure and protect the will of the electorate towards honest, orderly, and peaceful elections,” Albayalde said in a statement.
Police Major Gen. Lyndon Cubos, head of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management, said 1,858 PNP personnel have blood relations and affinity to candidates in the coming elections. Cubos said 1,370 are assigned in the political jurisdictions of the candidates while 488 are assigned elsewhere, thus, there is no need for them to be relieved from their present assignments.
Reassigned were 26 police commissioned officers and 1,344 police non-commissioned officers.
The five resigned PNP personnel are vying for vice mayor and councilor in Bukidnon, Surigao del Norte, Northern Samar, Lanao del Sur, and Zamboanga del Sur. (Martin Sadongdong)