MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed two high ranking police officials he earlier accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella named the two officials as former National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao; and former Quezon City Police District (QCPD) head, Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio.
“In line with the President’s promise to render the nation crime and corruption free, he has dismissed from service two presidential appointees who are officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Abella said in a Palace briefing Monday.
“A decision signed by the Executive Secretary last Thursday, has found Police Chief Superintendent Edgardo G. Tinio and Police Director Joel Pagdilao administratively liable for serious neglect of duty and serious irregularity in the performance of duty, and have been duly dismissed,” he said.
Pagdilao and Tinio were among the five active and retired PNP officials publicly accused by Duterte in July last year as alleged protectors of the drug trade.
The others were Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz, and retired Chief Superintendent Vicente Loot,who became mayor of Daanbantayan in northern Cebu, and retired PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Marcelo Garbo.
Abella said the President decided to dismiss the two police officers after evidence showed that both generals deliberately refused, without cause, to perform their duties as police officers allegedly resulting in the proliferation of the drug trade in their areas of jurisdiction.
However, the Palace official said there are no indications yet if criminal charges would be filed against the dismissed PNP officials.
“As far as I know, these are administrative charges only and that they have been let go. We’re not yet privy whether there are enough evidence to file criminal charges against them,” Abella said. (PNA)
