Palace: Leadership revamp good for PNP

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed with the plan of the Philippine National Police to implement a major leadership revamp as it grapples with controversy due to the alleged involvement of some police officers in the resale of seized illegal drugs.

A total of 21 police officers were affected by the revamp, which covered designations in the PNP headquarters and regional units.

The leadership changes took effect a week after Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde, who has been accused of protecting his former subordinates who carried out a questioned anti-drug raid in 2013, stepped down from his post as PNP chief.

He is on "non-duty" status while waiting for retirement. 

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte gave the go-signal to implement the revamp during a command conference in Malacañang last week.

RELATED: Albayalde faces criminal raps over 2013 drug raid

"He agreed with the revamp. That's good for the PNP. Any revamp will always be good for an organization after a while because mahirap iyong magkakaroon ka na ng ugat doon sa mga posisyon ninyo (It wouldn't be good if you stay too long in your post)," Panelo said in a press briefing on Monday.

"Tama lang iyon (It's the right thing to so)," he added.

Panelo said Duterte did not mention reasons as to why such revamp is necessary.

President Duterte reportedly scolded police officials during the command conference and expressed disappointment that some law enforcers are into illegal drugs even if he already increased their salaries and benefits.  

'Let law take its course'

Panelo also said Malacañang would just let the legal processes proceed in the case against Albayalde.  The former police chief has been included in the amended complaint of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against the so-called "ninja cops" or policemen accused of reselling confiscated narcotics.  

"From the very start we said, if they feel that they have a case against anyone then they can file it and let law takes its course," the presidential spokesman said.

Albayalde and 13 of his former subordinates face a complaint of graft, qualified bribery, falsification of public documents, dereliction of duty, and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.