1,000 PNP personnel relieved for ties with candidates, two senior officials stay put: PNP

May 6, 2019

Around 1,000 police personnel were relieved and reshuffled to other stations as their relatives and family members are running in next week's midterm elections.

Police General Oscar Albayalde, head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said 121 commanders were relieved while 1,372 personnel were relieved and reassigned for being affiliated with candidates.

But two senior officials, Police Major General Amador Corpus, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group ( CIDG), and Police Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, regional director of Eastern Visayas are staying put.

This was revealed by Albayalde in a press briefing in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City after he was again asked about the fate of Corpus after it was reported his wife is running for the lone congressional district in Abra.

Carlos' distant relative is running for a local elective post, said Albayalde.

Albayalde defended his two-high ranking officials.

Albayalde said he is sure Corpus knew the consequences if he will meddle in politics in Abra.

“Well first of all, General Corpus, I know he is a very professional police officer. He knows the consequences just in case he meddle with political affairs in Abra,” he said.

“And we have not received any information that he is meddling with the political affairs of his wife,” he added.

He said Corpus' wife is mad at him for not visiting their hometown.

“General Corpus never sat foot in Abra,” he said.

Albayalde added CIDG regional offices only have around eight to ten personnel.

“Remember, CIDG located in provinces...only have eight to 10 personnel so how can he meddle? But of course it’s part of the investigation on those who coddle private armed groups whether on the side of his wife or on the side of her rival,” he said.

Albayalde said Carlos' relative is only distantly related to him and it will be unfair for him to be relieved.

“For General Carlos, so far we did not see anything that he meddling with ( politics), it is even a distant relative… So remember, if the person is an RD (Regional Director), your area of responsibility is vast. So if you have a relative in (a certain area), it’s an unfair for an RD to be relieved for that purpose,” he said.

“The directors of NSU (National Support Unit), just like General Corpus who is a director of an NSU which his AOR is the whole country… the same with RD, they have a wide areas of responsibility,” said Albayalde.

In an ambush interview, Albayalde said the situation of the relieved cops is different from the two officials.

“Remember, those are territorial units, that’s the difference,” Albayalde told reporters.

“(CIDG) is a NSU, national support unit but those (relieved) are territorial units. They go home in that area and they have relatives (running from post) in that area. So that’s the difference between NSU, General Corpus and those personnel,” he added.

“We have relieved so much ( police officers) already, I think almost 1,000 police were relieved. We already relieved police who has relatives (running) and based in different areas but of course (the relief) is continuous,” said Albayalde. Ella Dionisio/DMS