MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Thursday heeded the call of the interior department for senior officers to submit courtesy resignations and give way to a "cleansing" of the police force.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Wednesday urged all colonels and generals -- about 300 in total -- to resign after a probe found a "handful" were involved in the illegal drug trade.

"I heed the call of the Honorable Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and the concurrent chairman of NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission). Thus, I am submitting my resignation from the police service voluntarily," Azurin wrote in a letter addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Azurin also wrote that he would allow himself to be evaluated and assessed by a committee created by Marcos to determine if he was in any way involved in the narcotics trade, or if he had been tolerating police officers who were.

He also noted that his resignation would also be considered an application for his retirement, adding that he supports Abalos' call to "rid the PNP of misfits and scalawags."

Abalos earlier said those who offer courtesy resignations could continue working while their records were assessed by a 5-member committee. Those found guilty would have their resignations accepted, he said.

"If you're not involved, there's nothing to worry about," he said in a press conference, noting that anyone who did not tender their resignation would be "questionable."

"This is the only way to cleanse the ranks in a fast manner," Abalos said. "It's difficult to fight a war when it's your ally that will shoot you in the back."

Abalos said that Azurin himself had recommended the move.

• Senior police officials urged to resign to 'cleanse' force

A former commander of the Northern Luzon police, Azurin was appointed by Marcos Jr. to lead the 226,000-strong police force last August, just 2 months after the latter assumed the presidency.

Abalos described the courtesy resignations as radical and a "shortcut" after previous investigations into allegedly corrupt officers took a long time and produced few results.

It is not the first time such drastic measures have been used to clean up the Philippine police force.

Former president Fidel Ramos cracked down on police in the early 1990s, ordering all officers over 56 years of age or with more than 30 years of service to resign. The chief of the national police and 9 other senior officers resigned as a result.

— With reports from Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News; Agence-France Presse

RELATED VIDEO:

Watch more News on iWantTFC