MANILA — Over 300 police officers with relatives possibly running for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30 might face temporary reassignment, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the relocating process of personnel with blood ties to candidates is a “normal practice” within the force to prevent cops from being used by politicians to earn favor during polls.
“Our assessment showed that 327 PNP personnel would likely have a relative who will run in the upcoming election, but we have yet to verify this figure on the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC),” Fajardo told reporters.
After the filing of COC from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, the PNP spokesperson said cops with relatives running for barangay and SK polls would be temporarily reassigned until the end of the elections on Oct. 30.
According to Fajardo, these 327 personnel have already been informed and are prepared for their possible transfer.
“We had an initial survey. This is not the first time we will do the transfer. Every election, our police officers expect this to happen,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Fajardo said that the PNP would talk to candidates with close ties to its personnel so the force could assess whether they need to be reassigned. (Faith Argosino © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
