PHILIPPINE National Police chief General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil yesterday denied he has ordered the removal of the rice allowances of the police force in order to donate them to Persons Deprived of Liberty in the country.
The top cop categorically denied rumors and negative posts being circulated on social media regarding the matter and described them as ‘baseless accusations’ coming from his detractors.
“I have not issued any directive concerning the rice allowances of PNP personnel nor do I have any intention to do so,” the 30th PNP chief said.
These malicious attacks, the camp of Gen. Marbil said are ‘clearly orchestrated by individuals seeking to discredit the PNP chief who has expressed his commitment to restore the reputation of the police force through smart policing methods.
“ It is evident that those who have tarnished the name of the PNP are resorting to fabricating lies to malign his policies as the new PNP chief,” a PNP press statement said.
The PNP chief said that attackers of his policies have even added three ‘fake items’ members of the force.
The ‘fake items’ are the following: First, the inclusion of an inverted crawl in their Physical Fitness Test which he said is a malicious falsehood as it contradicts the intention of making things easier for their personnel; and second is the false report that ‘Rice Subsidy, Combat Incentive Pay and Combat Duty Pay are automatically topped up to the regular salaries of PNP personnel through their ATM cards.
He said it is impossible to donate these allowances as suggested in the fake item.
Salary increases also come naturally with promotions and thus, there is no need for a separate announcement as falsely stated in another fake item to discredit the PNP chief.
Gen. Marbil warned those seeking to discredit him and hinder his plans for the PNP will be unmasked and charged with appropriate administrative offenses.
“A thorough investigation is currently underway to identify the source of this malicious campaign, and those responsible will face the harshest possible sanctions,” he said in stressing that he will not tolerate vicious assaults against his leadership.
The PNP leadership also urged the public to remain vigilant against false information and to rely on verified sources for accurate updates regarding the PNP’s policies and initiatives.
“The PNP, under Chief Marbil’s guidance, is unwavering in its commitment to serve and protect the Filipino people with utmost professionalism and integrity,” the statement said.
The unwarranted attacks on social media came after Gen. Marbil issued a ‘no cellphone’ policy on his men while on duty. Ongoing enforcement by the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group of Gen. Marbil’s order to go after on-duty cops using their cellphones to indulge in their vices during working hours has been met with wide approval by members of the force except for a few who have resorted to fake news to hit the directive, the Journal Group learned on Monday.
Brigadier Gen. Warren de Leon, director of the PNP-IMEG, said they have taken videos and photos of nearly 20 policemen, mostly beat patrollers violating the PNP chief’s directive and submitted reports to the immediate superiors of the violators for proper administrative actions.
Most of the violators were caught playing mobile games, watching TikTok and browsing the Facebook while there were some who were even caught watching pornographic videos on their mobile phones, the official said.
Brig. Gen. De Leon saidn as a result, several policemen who were annoyed by the PNP chief’s directive have resorted to spreading fake news in different social media platforms to discredit the PNP leadership in general and the PNP-IMEG in particular, it being the main implementor of the order.
There was even a social media post that a member of the Basilan Police Mobile Force Company shot dead by one of two motorcycle-riding men they tried to accost in Lamitan City last April 23 was a member of the PNP-IMEG who was gunned down by another policeman whose mobile phone he tried to confiscate.