Nartatez vows to rid PNP of scalawags

MANILA, Philippines — Following a directive from President Marcos to restore integrity in the Philippine National Police, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a sweeping internal purge of rogue personnel.

Nartatez said the President’s call would be treated as an operational order, stressing a “zero tolerance” policy against misconduct within the ranks.

“The President’s message is a clear marching order. It is a call for total internal cleansing. We will be unforgiving against scalawags who tarnish the badge,” Nartatez said.

The directive came after Marcos urged graduates of the PNP Academy Silang Paglaom Class of 2026 to uphold discipline and help rid the organization of corrupt officers during their commencement rites last week.

Nartatez said reforms would focus on accountability and prevention, emphasizing that rogue personnel would face removal from service rather than reassignment.

“We will not just reshuffle erring police, we will remove them,” he said, adding that the PNP would strengthen its Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.

Nartatez said the PNP would also expand ethics training across all ranks as well as intensify regular and random lifestyle checks, particularly in high-risk police units.

He added that recruitment, training and promotion systems would be aligned with stricter integrity standards to institutionalize reforms.