This is Why the PNP will NEVER win the War on Corrupt Cops

The PNP will never win the war on corrupt cops. The problem is manifold and does not rest on the shoulders of corrupt cops alone. How would they be able to operate without the PNP being as it is? Here are two stories that exemplify this fact. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193512

A former regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) accused of being involved in illegal drugs surrendered on Wednesday to the Philippine National Police regional office here.

Tagged as a high-value target, Erwin Ogario, former PDEA-National Capital Region (NCR) head, showed up at the office of PNP regional director Brig. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil after receiving death threats.

“He showed up since he has been getting death threats. We just found out that he has a warrant of arrest issued by a court in Quezon City. His voluntary surrender manifests his trust and confidence in our system and leadership,” Marbil told reporters.

Marbil handcuffed Ogario after the reading of his warrant of arrest. After booking procedures, he will be turned over to the Quezon City court.

Ogario is facing charges over the importation of dangerous drugs violating Section 4, Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Judge Elvira Panganiban of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 227 issued an arrest warrant against Ogario on Jan. 3, 2019.

Marbil said Ogario recently stayed with his family in Eastern Samar province.

Marbil had a meeting with Ogario between 2014 and 2015 when the latter was the PDEA Region 13 director and the former was the Agusan del Norte police provincial director.

Ogario was the PDEA regional director of NCR when he was dismissed from service in 2017 as part of the agency’s internal cleansing efforts.

He was held liable for obstruction of justice for facilitating the release of an arrested drug importer after claiming a parcel containing 1,358 ecstasy tablets at a post office in Pasay on June 29, 2015, without filing any criminal charge against the suspect.

In 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte tagged Ogario as one of the PDEA officials who accepted bribes from arrested drug personalities to facilitate their release from detention and the dismissal of cases filed against them. 

Erwin Ogario, former PDEA-National Capital Region (NCR) head, is undoubtedly a bad dude. He has been involved in the drug trade. In 2021 he was tagged by Duterte. In 2019 an arrest warrant was set against him by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 227.

Yet we are to believe the PNP just now found out about this warrant of arrest when the man surrendered? And where has he been all this time? Living safe and sound with his family in Eastern Samar! The only reason he surrendered is because he, allegedly, received death threats. But by whom? Normal citizens? Or perhaps cops in the know whom he worked with in the illegal drug trade? Either way this story is not believable. It is not believable that the PNP did not know he had a warrant of arrest until he showed up UNLESS the court system is that incompetent or someone hid the information. 

This second story is directly related to the recent call for top PNP brass to submit courtesy resignations. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193551

The Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has recommended the dismissal from the service of a police sergeant who was arrested in an operation that yielded PHP6.7 billion worth of shabu in Manila in October last year.

IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said they have submitted to the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management on Jan. 9 the recommendation to dismiss Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., a member of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit in the National Capital Region.

"It is now upon the discretion of the Chief PNP (Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.), whether he will uphold or reverse the decision. We respect that," he said in a phone interview with reporters.

Triambulo said Mayo's benefits would be forfeited, his eligibility will be revoked and he will be perpetually disqualified from holding any other government posts once he is dismissed from the service.

Azurin, meanwhile, said he has yet to read the copy of the IAS' recommendation.

"For as long as they (IAS) have the recommendation, the result of the investigation is already for my approval. We will still have to check if the recommended punishment is appropriate for the supposed offense he (May) had committed," Azurin said on the sidelines of the National Day of Remembrance for the 44 PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) police commandos at Camp Crame.

Reacting to the report that Mayo did not submit a counter-affidavit during the IAS probe, Azurin said it was tantamount to waiving all his rights in the investigation.

"So we cannot fault whatever the recommendation of the IAS because they are investigating an administrative case. I think it is Sgt. Mayo's fault that he did not submit any counter-affidavit," he said.

He said the investigation as to who ordered the return of Mayo to PDEG is ongoing.

Mayo was arrested on Oct. 8 a few hours after the discovery of 990 kilos of shabu inside a lending company in Quiapo, Manila which he allegedly owns.

Mayo’s arrest prompted an investigation which, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said, revealed that some high-ranking police officials were involved in the illegal drugs trade.

This prompted Abalos to call on police colonels and generals to submit their courtesy resignations.

So, this cop was arrested on October 8th "after the discovery of 990 kilos of shabu inside a lending company in Quiapo, Manila which he allegedly owns" and yet somebody allowed him to return to the PDEG. Meanwhile his arrest is what prompted DILG Secretary Abalos to demand, no mistake it was a demand, all the PNP top brass to submit their courtesy resignations. 

EXECPT no less than President Marcos said this was his plan all along since the campaign!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1713392/weeding-out-ninja-cops-part-of-new-drug-war-approach

Marcos was first asked if he had greenlighted the appeal of Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. for all police colonels and generals to tender their courtesy resignation in a bid to purge the Philippine National Police (PNP) of any link to the illegal drug syndicates.

“We have been planning this for a while. Let me be very clear. Remember, during the campaign, when I was being asked about what I will do for the drug war or the drug problem. This is it. We approach it in an entirely different way,” he told reporters.

Marcos said this was part of their efforts to cleanse the police ranks and ensure that the officers who remain in service are not involved with criminal drug syndicates.

"We know that the drugs will not be a problem if syndicates are not allied with some people in the police force. That’s why we must thoroughly look into who is good and involved. Who are really involved? And who will no longer be allowed to return to the service because of their association with drug lords?" he added.

Marcos reiterated that a committee will be formed to review the records of the police officers, and those cleared will be “slowly reinstated.”

“And maybe, we’ll have to decide: What do we do with those implicated to be involved in the drug trade? So we’ll see first. Maybe we’ll file cases against those with severe cases. We’re not yet there,” he added.

Marcos underscored the need to mount sufficient evidence against drug-involved PNP officers before filing a case before the court.

"Speculations and gossip about who is involved here and who is involved there, we’ve gone through that. It didn’t work, so we need to make sure that if we’re going to be filing cases, we’ll win them and really put those proven to be involved in the drug trade behind bars."

While an investigation is underway into whether police personnel have ties with illegal drug syndicates, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and PNP director General Abalos have said that all PNP colonels and generals are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities as usual.

Why will the PNP never end the war on corrupt cops? Because the system is set up to protect them. Remember the cop who pulled his gun on some students and the parents wanted to press charges? Remember the PNP told them he was a good man and they should drop the charges in the spirit of Christmas? They did that because the PNP does not take corruption seriously enough.