357 cops on drug list given option to retire early

THE 357 policemen included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug list may avail of the early retirement if they are guilty but it does not mean they are off the hook, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Archie Gamboa said on Monday.

Gamboa relayed this option when he met the 357 cops in an effort to save the reputation of the PNP. 

“We will accept optional retirement. Before I left, I told them: ‘I am giving option and this I will offer once. If you think you are guilty, you better render your optional retirement. The deadline for this is today (Monday),” Gamboa said in a press briefing at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

He, however, clarified that choosing optional retirement would not mean they are already out of trouble.

"Kung nag optional retire ka good for us but if it was confirmed 'di ibig sabihin off the hook ka na [If you choose optional retirement, good for us, but if it was confirmed, it doesn't mean you are off the hook]," Gamboa said.

"They were given option para di na masira ang imahe doesn’t mean they are off the hook [so that the image of the PNP would not be ruined, but it doesn't mean they are off the hook]," he added.

He said optional retirement is a good measure in getting rid of drug-tainted policemen as part of the continuing internal cleansing process of the PNP.

Gamboa said only one on the list has so far expressed intention to avail of early retirement.

He said the names of the policemen will not be published, saying they are innocent until proven guilty.

"It’s a sad thing we have to do this masakit sa ama parasuhan ang anak (it’s painful for the father to punish his son) but we have to do this," he said.

A brigadier general was the highest-ranked police officer on the President’s drug list which was gathered since 2016 when Duterte launched his massive war against illegal drugs.

The national adjudication board of the PNP under Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan would take action against those on the list, Gamboa said.

He said once the investigation is completed, the results and recommendations will be submitted to the President.

"We ourselves are going to process them, adjudicate, and validate the information that they are involved and hopefully those who are innocent may clear their names but those who are not may face the full force of the law," Gamboa said. (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)