By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, (PNA) — Three senior police officers turned politicians, on Wednesday filed a resolution at the House of Representatives seeking a probe into the squabble between officials of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC).
Congressmen Samuel Pagdilao (ACT-CIS party list), Romeo Acop (Antipolo City), and Leopoldo Bataoil (Pangasinan) filed House Resolution 370 seeking to investigate the root of the squabble between PPSC President Ruben Platon and Police Chief Supt. Noel Constantino, Director of the PNPA.
The solons said that based on reports gathered, Platon ordered the relief of Constantino due to “differences in principles” inside the premier police academy.
PNP chief, Director General Alan Purisima, upon learning about Constantino’s relief order, immediately directed the the recall to the PNP of 19 police commissioned officers and 30 police non-commissioned officers assigned as instructors and training officers of the PNPA, starting September 27, 2013.
Constantino claims that his relief came after questioning the PPSC for compelling cadets of PNPA to buy gadgets and other things that they did not need, leaving each cadet with only P7,000 take home pay after all PPSC supplies were deducted from their P29,000 monthly allowance.
The PNPA is the primary source of junior officers being assigned to the three of the PNP — the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and PPSC, all under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The relief of Constantino and the recall of 49 other police officers including Deputy Director, Senior Supt. Leonardo Cesneros and PNPA Commandant, Senior Supt. Jon Arnaldo will leave the PNPA in complete disarray without direction, and will adversely affect the administration, training and the morale; and welfare of the cadets, the House solons said.
The authors of the Resolution also claimed that there is a need for the House of Representatives to determine the real circumstances surrounding the relief of Constantino and the recall of 49 officers and men to provide immediate remedial measures to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future, and for the purpose of determining whether or not the PPSC should continue exercising control and supervision over the PNPA or be placed instead under the PNP.
Congressmen Pagdilao, Acop and Bataoil likewise said in their resolution that there is a need to conduct an investigation on the veracity of the serious allegation of Constantino against Platon, and to find out those responsible for the irregularity in order to alleviate public doubts on the PNPA and the quality of officers that the PNPA produces for the PNP.
Under the present set up, the PPSC system is the umbrella organization that provides direction, administration and control of the various education and training programs offered by its component agencies namely; PNPA, National Police College; Philippine National Training Institute and its 18 regional training schools; Fire National Training Institute and the National Forensic Science Training Institute.