Officer among 357 cops relieved due to alleged drug links seeks early retirement
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said there is one police officer from the 357 cops relieved due to alleged links with illegal drugs who expressed intention in rendering his early retirement.
In a press briefing at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said he gave the 357 police officers an option to render early retirement if they feel guilty on being included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug list.
“I told them, I am giving option and this will only be offered once. If you think you are guilty and you cannot escape (from the allegations) you better render your optional retirement and the deadline for that is today. So if you will not opt for an optional retirement and you are found guilty then I’m sorry,” the PNP chief said.
“Of course, if you are innocent you don’t have to render your optional retirement,” he added.
Gamboa did not disclose the name or the rank of the official.
“We will not say he is guilty (for now), it’s just a gesture so that the PNP will not be bothered,” he explained.
While choosing early retirement will give comfort to the organization, Gamboa said it does not mean the relieved cops will be off the hook with their involvement in illegal drugs.
“So if you choose optional retirement it’s good for us, we will not adjudicate you anymore because we don’t have any jurisdiction but if the information really confirms that you are involved then you will go to the national watch list outside the PNP… we will not have any second thoughts in pursuing them,” he said.
During his meeting with the relieved officials, Gamboa said he told them the process they will be undergoing after he asked Duterte to allow them to have a liberty to investigate, adjudicate and validate information on the officers involved in the drug list.
“What I requested from the president is that- only for PNP personnel- we given liberty investigate, adjudicate and validate information and directly submit to him after one month our recommendation of the disposition of each and everyone involved,” he said.
Gamboa said the relieved officers will first go to regional officers, national support units and the directorial staff where they will stay for one week.
“They will have their own adjudication board… I told them to bring all the evidence they have there and after that they will go to the national adjudication board (where they) will evaluate for three weeks,” he said.
Gamboa said he told the national adjudication board to give the result after a month.
“Probably it will only take two to three days for me to recommend to the president the final disposition on each of the 357 (officers),” he said.
“But remember our evaluation, our validation is one thing. The president looking at it and finally approving on our recommendation is another thing. What I asked the president is allow us to validate, allow us to adjudicate, and then in a month’s time we will submit to you the recommendation. But of course you cannot impose anything to the president. It will up to the president how to deal with the recommendation,” he said.
Gamboa promised the 357 cops that he will not disclose their names or show them to media.
“I promised the 357 I will not reveal their names nor show them on camera because the presumption is they are still innocent,” he said.
He said police officers involved range from patrolman to one star general rank.
Gamboa assured the public the PNP is doing its best to discipline their people. Ella Dionisio/DMS
