Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 7) — A retired Court of Appeals Associate Justice completed the five-man advisory group tasked to evaluate more than 900 top officers who submitted their courtesy resignations to supposedly cleanse the Philippine National Police (PNP) of drug ties.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos in a statement on Tuesday revealed that former CA Associate Justice Melchor Quirino Sadang will join the other four panel members announced last week.
The committee includes Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin, former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, and retired Gen. Isagani Nerez.
Sadang, who previously requested that his identity be withheld, served as a Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court in Cavite City from 2000 to 2011 and was a law professor at the University of the East.
Abalos said the group is set to meet next Monday to begin evaluating 943 generals and full colonels to assess their possible ties to the illegal drug trade.
“Gugulong na ang pagsisiyasat. Ang importante ay matanggal ang dapat matanggal sa serbisyo at and inosente ay maproteksyunan,” Abalos said.
[Translation: Evaluations will begin. What’s important is those who need to be removed should be removed from service while the innocent are protected.]
Abalos made the request for the courtesy resignations as part of the government’s efforts to cleanse the police ranks of connections with drug syndicates.
