Eleazar orders dismissal of PNP civilian personnel with Abu links

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 2, 2021): Eleazar orders dismissal of PNP civilian personnel with Abu links (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

ARRESTED NUP. Authorities present Philippine National Police (PNP) non-uniformed personnel Masckur Adoh Patarasa of Sulu after his arrest on July 30, 2021. PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, said Patarasa has been a member of the Abu Sayaff Group since 2001. (PNP PIO photo)

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Monday ordered the immediate conduct of dismissal proceedings against the non-uniformed personnel who turned out to be a finance and logistics liaison officer for the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Eleazar tasked the Internal Affairs Service to fast-track the summary dismissal proceedings of Masckur Adoh Patarasa, an NUP assigned with the Banguingui Municipal Police Station in Sulu.

Patarasa was arrested in an operation on July 30 for seven cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

He was also included in the martial law arrest order at the height of the Marawi siege in 2017.

“Inatasan ko ang IAS na madaliin ang summary dismissal proceedings upang agad na matanggal bilang NUP si Patarasa habang hinaharap sa korte ang patong-patong na kaso laban sa kanya (I have instructed the IAS to expedite the summary dismissal proceedings so that Patarasa can be immediately removed as NUP while facing cases against him in court),” Eleazar said in a statement.

Eleazar said further investigation is also being conducted to determine if there are other PNP personnel involved with the Abu Sayyaf.

“Hindi malayo ang posibilidad na may iba pa siyang kasama kaya dito nakatutok ang ating follow-up investigation. Kasabay nito, aalamin din natin kung ano-ano ang mga kasong kinasangkutan nila (It is not far off the possibility that he has others with him so this is where follow-up investigation focuses. At the same time, we will also find out what cases they are involved in),” Eleazar said.

He said it was discovered that Patarasa has been a member of the Abu Sayaff Group since 2001.

“Atin din aalamin kung paano nakapasok sa PNP itong si Patarasa na sangkatutak pala ang mga arrest warrants at kasong kinakaharap kaugnay ng kanyang pagiging miyembro ng Abu Sayyaf (We will also find out how Patarasa got into the PNP with all the arrest warrants and cases he is facing in connection as member of Abu Sayyaf),” Eleazar said.

Citing Patarasa’s case, Eleazar noted the importance of cleansing police ranks from the start or during the recruitment process.

“Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit sinasala nating mabuti ngayon ang mga pumapasok sa PNP, mapa-pulis o civilian employee (This one of the reasons why we now carefully screen those who enter the PNP, police or civilian employees),” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1149051