PRO8 creates honesty team to weed out erring PNP personnel

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
October 20, 2014

CAMP RUPERTO K KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Police Regional Office 8 thru the leadership of PCSupt. Henry P. Losañes, PRO8 Regional Director, issued a Command Memorandum Circular creating a PRO8 Honesty Teams. The operational guidelines is set to be followed by the PRO8 personnel in enhancing the image of the Philippine National Police through a comprehensive program to weed out erring PNP personnel engaged in extortion or “kotong”, “hulidap”, “mulcting”, “bribery” and other forms of illegal activities.

The memorandum revealed that these illegal activities usually occur but not limited to the following: during the conduct of an investigation; issuance of PNP clearances/licenses; traffic violation; illegal vending, and delivery of goods, fruits, vegetables, livestock, meat, fish by traders or “viajeros”. Some are involved in “hulidap” or arresting the people on trumped-up charges and demanding settlement money. They also prey on PNP personnel who seek reassignment or promotion.

According to General Losañes, PPOs and CPOs will likewise initiate the organization of Honesty Team to conduct an intensive region-wide campaign against erring PNP personnel engaged in extortion and other form of illegal activities.

The operation concept of this memorandum consists of three (3) components: 1. Target Areas/Personalities Acquisitions; 2. Reinforcement of PNP Core Values; 3. Neutralization Operations. A sub-term for each component shall be correspondingly created.

He added that a diligent intelligence gathering will be undertaken to identify the units/offices and areas of deployment, susceptible to acts or transaction that might lead to extortion or other forms of illegal activities including the personnel who are likely to commit or those who are already involved in such illegal acts.

Active and consistence education and information dissemination campaign will also be initiated in the entire region, prioritizing those police units/offices and areas of deployment that have been identified to be vulnerable to commission of misdemeanors, with particular focus on already known target personalities. The education campaign shall concentrate in inculcating the core values of the PNP organization in order to avoid the occurrence or commission of illegal acts that are subject of the Memorandum.

Those involved or who will persist in their nefarious activities will be arrested and criminally charged without prejudice to administrative sanctions.

The PNP TEXT 2920, walk-in complaints, CI activities, and dialogue with concerned sectors, i.e. transport, etc. shall serve as feedback mechanisms to reinforce the efforts of the PNP in formulating strategies to rid corruption within its ranks.

This is one of the initiatives of the PNP to enhance the image of the PNP not only in Eastern Visayas but also in the whole country.