GENERAL SANTOS CITY — At least seven police personnel in Region 12 or Soccsksargen were permanently dismissed from service in the last seven months due to various offenses.
Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said Tuesday the erring policemen were dropped from rolls following a series of summary hearings.
Based on records from January to July, he said most of the cases involved policemen who went on absence without official leave or “Awol.”
He said the other cases were for dishonesty, specifically for submitting “fake” civil service eligibilities.
“The dismissal orders were issued based on due process as set in PNP (Philippine National Police) regulations,” Gonzales said in a radio interview.
He said not one of the dismissed policemen had cases involving illegal drugs, especially the use of prohibited substances.
None among the police commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers under the PRO-12 yielded positive result for using illegal drugs based on the surprise drug tests conducted by the regional office since January.
Last year, three policemen were found positive for using methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and are now undergoing dismissal proceedings.
Gonzales said they have not recorded any case of extortion or other related criminal offenses involving police personnel in the region.
“This is an indication that our personnel here are more disciplined,” he said.
PRO-12 earlier warned policemen in the area against engaging in any illegal activity in the wake of the reported involvement of at least four policemen assigned in Taguig City in alleged kidnap-for-ransom activities.
An alleged rogue police officer was killed while three others were arrested in an encounter last week with fellow operatives in Western Bicutan, Taguig.
Gonzales added that the regional office will continue to monitor and impose proper discipline among its personnel as part of the “internal cleansing” campaign of the PNP. (PNA)
