Senators on Wednesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to pursue the criminal conviction of 18 high-ranking officials of the Philippine National Police, whom he accepted resignations from.
Marcos, who is currently in Malaysia, announced on Tuesday through the Presidential Communications Office that he already had accepted their resignations upon the recommendation of the National Police Commission Ad Hoc Advisory Group.
In his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, the president noted that he would accept the resignations of ”unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade.”
For Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the national government should file criminal charges against erring police.
“Firing erring officials [is] not enough, they should be charged accordingly for the crime they have committed,” Ejercito said in a statement,
If remain unpunished, he noted that other government officials involved in other criminal activities may continue their wrongdoings.
“Nobody would learn from it; nobody would fear to commit crimes, whether they are officials, police, or in government,” he lamented.
Echoing the same sentiments, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the filing of cases should be pursued based on evidence.
“Follow the evidence. If good enough for [a] criminal conviction, then they should file the cases,” Pimentel said in a separate statement.
“Since they were dismissed, then that is already the end of an administrative case,” he added.
‘Not enough’
Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed that the government should not stop with the dismissal of police involved in illegal drugs.
“[It was] not enough and am sure they will do the right thing to charge these police officers,” Villanueva said.
He noted that the “full force of the law” should be applied to them to warn others.
“Otherwise, we will continue to hear and see this over and over again,” he pointed out.