MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday said it aimed to complete an internal cleansing of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by March or April.

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier this month asked all police colonels and generals to offer courtesy resignations after a probe found that a handful of PNP officers were dabbling with the narcotics trade.

The interior department is in the process of forming a 5-man committee that would investigate PNP senior officers for possible drug links, Abalos said.

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

"Ang naging effect nito (courtesy resignation) ay hindi biro... bilang secretary ng DILG, nakita ko ang nangyayari sa ibaba," he told reporters at the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite.

(The effect of this move is no joke... as the secretary of the DILG, I saw what happened on the ground.)

Senior officers who offer resignations could continue working while the committee goes over their records, Abalos earlier said. After the panel's assessment, the National Police Commission will also review the list of officers allegedly linked to illegal drugs.

"Tuloy-tuloy ang case buildup, so if evidence warrants it, mag-file pa din ng case kahit tinanggap na ang resignation," he said.

(We are continuing with the case buildup so if the evidence warrants it, we will file a case even if we accepted their resignation.)

On Sunday, the PNP said only 25 high-ranking officers have yet to submit their courtesy resignation.

• PNP: 928 senior officials have filed courtesy resignations after DILG call

PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said 928 or 97 percent of the total 953 full colonels and generals across the country have tendered their resignation.

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