COTABATO CITY – Thirteen personnel of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM) have so far been dismissed from service due to various offenses since January this year.
Senior Insp. Jemar delos Santos, PRO-ARMM spokesperson, said that aside from the 13 dismissed cops, 37 other police officers were meted disciplinary sanctions.
“This clearly indicates the leadership of PRO-ARMM is determined in its cleansing program to improve police image,” Delos Santos said.
Delos Santos said that of the 138 police officers administratively charged and penalized in 2017, 70 have been dismissed.
He said Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, PRO-ARMM director, regularly conducts surprise inspection in police stations, provincial police offices to ensure that the rank and file police officers, including those holding sensitive and command positions, are religiously subscribing to policies set by the Philippine National Police (PNP) office.
Mijares maintained that in the implementation of their internal cleansing program, the police officers subjected to complaints were given due process.
“Once proven guilty, they will be penalized in accordance with the police disciplinary mechanism,” Mijares said.
The police director then directed all police officers under him to shun illegal activities because the PNP will never allow them to destroy the whole organization.
“Those who perform beyond what is expected of them will be rewarded, while those who are involved in illegal activities will be discharged after due process,” Mijares said. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
