22 Western Visayas cops ‘punished’ for various offenses

TWENTY-TWO cops were meted administrative penalties for various offenses in a span of more than five months.

The period covers June 1, 2018, the day Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police chief, assumed post until Nov. 16.

“Organizational discipline is one of my priorities when I assumed post as regional director of Police Regional Office 6,” Bulalacao said.

Since his stint started, 27 administrative cases were resolved but five were exonerated from the charges filed against them.

Of the 22, ten personnel were suspended; seven were slapped with one-rank demotion; four were dismissed from the service; and one with forfeiture of salary.

The number includes 15 former members of Maasin Police Station who were administratively charged after New People’s Army (NPA) overran their office on June 18, 2017.

Other cops were charged for failure to attend their court duties and for leaving their post and got delayed in reporting the incident.

“We do not tolerate erring personnel in our ranks. Once reported to us, they may face administrative or criminal charges,” Bulalacao said.

The officers who face charges undergo investigation to give them the chance to defend themselves. If found liable, they may suffer penalties as consequence of their deeds or misdeeds.

“I always remind our personnel to abide by the rules and regulations because as law enforcers, we have the moral ascendancy in imposing the law,” Bulalacao said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesman, said the command doesn’t need to hide from the public that there are police personnel who erred and penalized.

“That’s one way to prove that we are doing something to our personnel who are remiss with their duties,” she said.

After all, “we don’t tolerate misdeeds. We just hope this will serve as a lesson for other policemen not to do the same mistake,” Malong said.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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