217 Basilan-bound cops to go AWOL?

MANILA, Philippines - At least 217 Metro Manila police officers bound for Basilan failed to show up during the head count at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters yesterday morning.

Only 36 of the 253 “rogue” police officers – charged with offenses ranging from robbery, extortion, kidnapping and “15-30,” which means they only show up on paydays  – were at Camp Bagong Diwa at 8 a.m.

NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde said the 217 police officers who failed to show up during the morning’s “accounting” would be asked to explain.

“They are showing their bad attitude by their absence,” he said in an interview.

Should these police officers fail to submit a written explanation in three days, they would be marked AWOL or absent without official leave “and eventually be dismissed” from service, Albayalde added.

There were actually 73 police officers who showed up for the 8 a.m. accounting at the NCRPO grandstand. The others, also charged with serious offenses, came from the Police Regional Offices 1, 2, 3, 4-A and the Cordillera region.

After the accounting, Albayalde said the police officers were dismissed or allowed to go home to prepare their uniforms and personal belongings for their reassignment to Basilan.

Another accounting was scheduled at 10 p.m. and Albayalde expressed hope that those who failed to report earlier would show up.

Those who report by 10 p.m. would be barred from leaving the camp. They would be taken to the Villamor Air Base for their 5 a.m. flight to Zamboanga City today, he said.

From Zamboanga City, the police officers would be shipped to Basilan, where officials of the Southern Command and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao would be waiting for them.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the police officers would be deployed in the war against the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

Forty police officers were earlier spared from being reassigned to Basilan since they were charged only with minor offenses such as tardiness, absenteeism and texting while on duty.