PNP BOOTS OUT 2,358 SCALAWAGS

PHILIPPINE National Police chief Director General Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.
yesterday said they are continuing the drive against scalawags in uniform.

In fact, he said more counter-intelligence teams have been fielded
nationwide to go after members of the 114,000-strong national police force
who are involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking,
kidnapping, bank robberies and robbery-holdups.

"There are no sacred cows in this drive. We are going after any member of
the police force who will be involved in crimes regardless of their rank,
affiliation, source of commissionship and position," Ebdane said.

He noted that since the implementation of the campaign in 1998 to rid the
PNP of scalawags and misfits under "Oplan Patnubay," a total of 2,358
policemen, 66 of them commissioned officers and 2,292 non-commissioned
officers, have been dismissed.

PNP Chief Hermogenes Ebdane: "There are no sacred cows in this drive. We
are going after any member of the police force who will be involved in
crimes regardless of their rank, affiliation, source of commissionship and
position."

"The campaign against rascals in uniforms is being done on two levels, the
preventive and the punitive," Ebdane said.

He explained that on the preventive level, the PNP is monitoring and
continuously assessing the performance of its personnel. Last year, he said
172,112 inspections were conducted nationwide which resulted in the
re-training of 3,346 policemen.

Ebdane said that under his O.N.E. program, punitive actions slapped on more
than 5,300 cases processed last year is proof that the "PNP can and will
take decisive action on its erring members."

Last year, he said a total of 3,515 cases were resolved by the PNP
leadership which resulted in the dismissal of 225 policemen and the
demotion of 73 others.

In addition, 899 others were suspended with the salary and benefits of 548
others forfeited in favor of the government; 300 were reprimanded; 14 were
restricted to quarters; 21 were forced to resign and 276 were dropped from
the rolls.