MANILA, Philippines – A day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised to accept the resignations of “unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade” during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Malacañang made public on Tuesday, July 15, the list of police offers whose resignations were accepted by the President. 

Marcos, addressing the 19th Congress and other top government and diplomatic officials, reiterated an earlier promise to introduce a new approach to battle illegal drugs: focusing instead on treatment and rehabilitation.

The President said he would not “tolerate corruption or incompetence in government,” referring to officials with supposed links to the illegal trade. 

Current PNP chief Benjamin Acorda Jr., according to the Palace, sent a letter to the President to inform him of the advisory group’s investigation. Some 953 officials handed in their resignations. Of those, only the resignation of the following were accepted: 

1. PBGEN Remus Balingasa Medina O-10038
2. PBGEN Randy Quines Peralta O-05124
3. PBGEN Pablo Gacayan Labra II O-03734
4. PCOL Rogarth Bulalacao Campo O-08477
5. PCOL Rommel Javier Ochave O-08085
6. PCOL Rommel Allaga Velasco O-08084
7. PCOL Robin King Sarmiento O-03552
8. PCOL Fernando Reyes Ortega O-07478
9. PCOL Rex Ordoño Derilo O-10549
10. PCOL Julian Tesorero Olonan O-12395
11. PCOL Rolando Tapon Portera O-07520
12. PCOL Lawrence Bonifacio Cajipe O-12905
13. PCOL Dario Milagrosa Menor O-07757
14. PCOL Joel Kagayed Tampis O-08180
15. PCOL Michael Arcillas David O-07686
16. PCOL Igmedio Belonio Bernaldez O-12544
17. PCOL Rodolfo Calope Albotra Jr O-08061
18. PCOL Marvin Barba Sanchez O-08043

Acorda, according to Malacañang, said the 18 are “continuously being monitored.” 

The 18 will be relieved from their current posts and placed under the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU) of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management. Being under PHAU means an official is “floating” or does not hold a post – he or she, however, typically still gets a salary.

Why did they hand in courtesy resignations? Senior police officials had little choice in the matter.

In early January 2023, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called on police generals and colonels to hand in their courtesy resignations in an effort to rid the Philippine National Police (PNP) of officials with alleged links to illegal drugs. Even as the move was deemed controversial, Abalos, who has administrative oversight of the PNP, pushed through with the campaign. 

Abalos later announced in February 2023 the creation of an “independent” group that would go through the resignations and determine which ones to accept. The group included former PNP second in command and current Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, then-PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin, former defense chief and defeated 2022 senatorial candidate Gilbert Teodoro, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary for Police Affairs Isagani Nerez. Teodoro has since been appointed defense secretary. – Rappler.com