Philippines: Marcos government sacks 18 police officials linked to drugs

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the current president of the Philippines, has accepted the resignations of 18 officials of the Philippine National Police, including three generals, for their alleged links to illegal drug activities.

This came a day after the president of the Philippines called for the rise of “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines). He ended his second State of the Nation address on Monday by saying that he would let go of “unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade.”

On Tuesday, Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines, said in a statement that Brigadier Generals Remus Medina and Randy Peralta were allegedly involved in illegal drug activities. Reportedly, Remus Medina and Randy Peralta served as chief of the country’s National Police’s anti-drug unit, the Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), under the previous government. The third official was identified as Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II.

Other PNP officials include Colonels Rogarth Campo,  Lawrence Cajipe, Dario Menor, Joel Kagayed Tampis, Michael David, Rolando Portera, Igmedio Bernaldez, Robin Sarmiento, Fernando Ortega, Rommel Ochave, Rommel Velasco, Rex Derilo, Julian Olonan, Rodolfo Albotra Jr. and Marvin Sanchez.

Benjamin “Benhur” de Castro Abalos Jr, the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of Philippines, told the media, “We get the official word of the President and our PNP chief has been informed, the 18 PNP officials will now be informed that their resignation has been accepted.”

The 18 officials were among 953 PNP personnel who were screened for probable involvement in the narcotics trade by a five-man panel between February and April this year.

Earlier this year, the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of Philippines called on all police generals and colonels to submit their courtesy resignations. Later on, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) recommended the president to refuse the courtesy resignations filed by 917 of the 953 officers.