PNP chief: Heads must roll as another moonlighting cop caught

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said Tuesday that heads must roll over police officers' involvement in moonlighting activities, emphasizing the need for stricter personnel accounting measures.

“Ang guidance, ang binibigyan is yung mga IMEG (Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group) natin ay may order na tayo sa IMEG natin to really conduct yung mga tinatawag na accounting, pati ang IAS (Internal Affairs Service) binigyan ko na ng power na mag account ng mga tao natin to make sure na hindi nangyayari ang mga ganitong bagay (Our guidance is we are giving our IMEG an order to conduct an accounting – even the IAS, I also gave them power to account for our personnel so that these things won't happen)," Marbil told reporters in Camp Crame.

He also said he wants to strengthen the implementation of the command responsibility principle, which means that immediate commanders would be held liable if at least one of their men is caught doing illegal acts.

“We are not forgiving sa mga ganitong bagay (on these things). We would not allow this and we have been issuing warnings on this for a long time. We would want to know who is the immediate commander and how the system works. Maybe there is a lapse in the process of accounting and we have to improve our accounting system,” Marbil added.

The move comes as another police officer was caught moonlighting as a motorcycle-riding security escort of an unidentified “VIP (very important person)”, during an operation against illegal blinkers and sirens by the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in Parañaque City on Monday.

Arrested were Staff Sgt. Rafael Boco, who is assigned to the motorcycle unit of the HPG - National Capital Region (NCR), and his cohort Florencio Rabuya Geñoso Jr., a dismissed member of the Philippine Army.

Earlier this month, two commandos of the Special Action Force – Cpl. George Mabuti and Patrol Officer Roger Valdez – were arrested for engaging in a fistfight inside the Ayala-Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City.

Further investigation showed that the police officers were moonlighting as security escorts of a Chinese national linked to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).

The PNP chief, meanwhile, reminded police officers that they are not allowed to have any other jobs during office hours.

Marbil said police lawyers and doctors may ask for authorization from the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to exercise their profession outside the PNP. (PNA)