ILOILO City – The internal cleansing at the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) has started under newly-installed regional director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao.
For suspicion of involvement in illegal activities, 20 personnel of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) were relieved from their posts.
Twenty-nine more policemen at the PRO-6’s Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division (RPHRDD) were subjected to a “surprise” drug test on June 6.
When he assumed office on June 5, Bulalacao vowed to impose organizational discipline at the PRO-6.
Yesterday morning, he summoned to Camp Delgado, the PRO-6 headquarters, four other policemen for entering cockpits.
“I gave a warning on Tuesday. Policeman should stay away from gambling dens, including cockpits,” said Bulalacao.
The regional director said he had photos of the policemen in cockpits.
These policemen were from Iloilo City, Negros Occidental, Capiz, and the PRO-6’s Regional Headquarters Support Group.
They won’t be relieved from their posts but would be subjected to a pre-charge investigation by the PRO-6’s Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, said Superintendent Joem Malong, chief of the PRO-6’s Regional Public Information Office.
If probable cause is found, the four policemen would be subjected to summary hearings.
Around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 personnel from the RPHRDD were asked to submit urine samples for drug testing at the PRO-6’s Regional Crime Laboratory.
The results would be made public on Monday, June 11, said Malong.
Aside from organizational discipline, Bulalacao’s other thrusts were the campaigns against illegal drugs and crimes and curbing if not totally stopping the involvement of policemen in illegal activities such as drug pushing or using.
According to Malong, of the 20 BCPO policemen relieved, one was a police commissioned officer, 18 were police non-commissioned officers and one non-uniformed personnel.
They are now under the RPHRDD undergoing investigation.
“My actions shall be anchored on the guidance of the Philippine National Police chief emphasizing internal reforms and organizational discipline. Under my watch, I will see to it that organizational discipline is imposed to have integrity and individual reform,” said Bulalacao.
He warned police personnel not to smoke, text or sleep while on duty.
“The instructions of our PNP chief are very clear. Ayaw namin nang patulog-tulog na pulis, nagso-smoke while on duty at nagte-text sa maraming tao,” said Bulalacao./PN
