Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. ordered a more aggressive crackdown against erring personnel following the separate arrests of two active-duty police officers facing rape and domestic abuse charges in Metro Manila and Mindanao.
PGEN Nartatez said the arrests show that the PNP’s campaign against erring personnel remains firm and will be further intensified through closer monitoring and faster action against officers facing criminal complaints.
This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., through the guidance of DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to strengthen accountability in government service, enforce the rule of law, and sustain efforts to remove rogue personnel from the police organization.
“Let these simultaneous arrests serve as a stern warning that our badge and our uniform will never be a shield against the law, and the Philippine National Police will aggressively hunt down anyone within our ranks who believes they can evade accountability,” PGEN Nartatez noted.
One of the arrested officers was a Police Master Sergeant assigned to the Presidential Security and Protection Group (PSPG). He was arrested in Quezon City on June 20 after operatives of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and other police units served a warrant of arrest issued by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 267 for violation of Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code, or rape.
IMEG said the officer had been under its monitoring through COPLAN “Bangketa” due to alleged involvement in illegal activities, including illegal drug use. Investigators later discovered a standing warrant for rape during records verification, prompting the operation. The court recommended no bail for him.
Also arrested on the same day was a Patrolman assigned to the Office of the Regional Police Records Management Division-Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Section of Police Regional Office 11 (PRO-11).
He was apprehended in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, by IMEG operatives and other law enforcement units over two cases filed by his wife under Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.
The complaints alleged acts that caused physical injuries as well as mental and emotional anguish.
Authorities served warrants for violation of Section 5(i) of RA 9262 with bail set at P72,000 and violation of Section 5(a) of the same law, constituting slight physical injuries, with bail set at P6,000.
PGEN Nartatez said the arrest of active police personnel facing serious criminal charges should reassure the public that the organization is willing to police its own ranks.
“We are sending a clear message to the public that we will not tolerate any scalawags, and we will actively weed out them out in the interest of integrity and trust in the police organization,” he said.
Following the arrests, PGEN Nartatez directed the concerned units to initiate the appropriate administrative proceedings in accordance with existing PNP rules and regulations.
He also ordered IMEG and other concerned offices to intensify the monitoring of police officers tagged in criminal activities, domestic violence complaints, and illegal drug involvement.
The directive includes strengthened records validation and closer coordination with local police units to ensure that personnel with pending criminal cases are immediately identified and subjected to appropriate action.