250 cops facing criminal complaints

October 10, 2019

Around 250 police personnel are facing criminal complaints from February 2017 up to September this year, according to the Philippine National Police's Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG).


IMEG data showed that out of the total, 124 police personnel were arrested while complaints on 126 were filed and referred to the Department of Justice.


Meanwhile, 224 civilians and members of law enforcement agencies also have criminal complaints.


"Out of 124 arrested PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel, 113 were PNCOs ( police non-commissioner officers)... while 10 PCOs ( police commissioned officers) and one NUP ( non-uniformed personnel)," the report said.


Out of the total police arrested, thirty-one percent are patrolmen and two percent had the rank of Police Lieutenant Colonel.


"In addition, 82 or 67 percent of the arrested PNP personnel were involved in robbery extortion cases followed by kidnapping with 13 or 11 percent personnel involved," it said.


"Violation of Dangerous Drugs Act (is)... two or three percent and slight physical injury has the least number which is one percent," it added.


A total of 313 administrative complaints were also referred to Internal Affairs Service.


According to Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, the number of officers involved in illegal drugs decreased to 22.


"For the last three years, the number (of personnel) we are monitoring decreased from 87 to 22," said Banac.


He said the IMEG will keep on monitoring all scalwags and rogue cops, including the so-called ''ninja cops''.


"Our monitoring will continue... and if we find out they violated the law, they can be arrested and be removed from service," Banac added. Ella Dionisio/DMS