PRO-BAR disqualifies, files charges vs. 4 applicants

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao – Honesty is one of the requirement in joining the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP), police authorities in the Bangsamoro Region pointed this out during recruitment process.

On Thursday, Brig. Gen. Eden Ugale, police director for the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BAR), ordered the filing of appropriate cases and disqualification of police applicants who deliberately submitted fake RT-PCR result in the ongoing PNP recruitment process in PRO BAR.

Four applicants and two civilian cohorts identified as Jalal Adiong and Abdullah Oga were criminally charged and referred before the Maguindanao Provincial Prosecutor Office for Falsification of Public Documents and violation of Republic Act No.11332.

Ugale said based on the investigation conducted by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG BAR), there were 66 PNP applicants who submitted questionable RT-PCR Results.

Upon verification and validation four out of the 66 applicants have submitted RT-PCR results that were proven to be fake and spurious.

Three police applicants are now arrested and under the custodial facility of CIDG while the fourth applicant was tested positive for COVID-19 and is now confined at Parang District Hospital Quarantine Facility in Parang, Maguindanao.

Investigation also showed that four applicants did not undergo swab test and were given RT-PCR results from two civilian cohorts for a fee.

Ugale said the aggressive reform in the PNP Recruitment System is a long-term internal cleansing measure initiated by Police Director General Guillermo Eleazar under the Intensified Cleanliness Policy (ICC) when he assumed the top post on May 8 this year.

It was a move to demolish the culture of corruption and “padrino system” in the PNP recruitment system.

Eleazar said the anomalous recruitment system is one of the major roots of the culture of abuse and wrongdoings among the few members of the PNP who entered the police service in irregular ways.

“Our recruitment process under CORES (Comprehensive Online Recruitment Encrypting System) works on a concept of honesty, integrity, and trust on the system. If you cannot respect our recruitment process, then you have no place in our organization,” General Eleazar said.

Informed of the filing of charges and disqualification against the four, Eleazar lauded PRO-BAR officers and women and men.

“I hope this is lesson learned for future applicants in the PNP. Through this QR Code System in our recruitment process, we will make sure that we will recruit only the best for the PNP,” the PNP Chief added.

More than 17,000 policemen will be recruited this year.

Ugale said PRO BAR is determined to bring into the bar of justice or to punish any person who found committing irregularities in relation to PNP recruitment in BARMM.