FOUR senior police officers will face criminal and administrative charges over their alleged ties to the illegal drug trade, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Monday.
At a livestreamed news briefing, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benajmin C. Abalos, Jr. said the five-man advisory panel recommended the filing of cases after their review of records of third-level police officers.
“The advisory group recommended the acceptance of the courtesy resignations and filing of administrative and/or criminal cases against two generals and two colonels,” Mr. Abalos said.
He said the National Police Commission is now “waiting for Malacañang to accept the resignation of two generals and two colonels.
Mr. Abalos said the names of the police officers, who were former members of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group, would be disclosed once cases have been filed.
If found guilty of grave misconduct and grave neglect of duty, the officers
would face dismissal from duty, forfeiture of benefits, and a permanent ban from public office.
The interior chief in January called on all senior cops to resign after a probe found many high-ranking police officers were involved in the illegal drug trade.
A total of 953 police generals and colonels have submitted their courtesy resignations, Mr. Abalos said. He said the National Police Commission would continue investigating retired senior cops involved in illegal drugs.
The five-man advisory panel is composed of former national police chief Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr., former police officer now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, ex-Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, retired police Major General R. Nerez, and retired Court of Appeals Associate Justice Melchor Quirino C. Sadang. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
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