NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Brigadier General Vicente D. Danao Jr,. has assured that a continuing crackdown on so-called ‘Lubog’ or ’15-30’ policemen in Metro Manila is continuing as he warned his commanders and other heads of offices anew to stop tolerating the practice or they will also be in hot water.
“Pinapaalala ko lang na kung sinumang commander na gumagawa pa din ng “lubog” at 15/30 ay tigilan na, kundi may kalalagyan kayo. Malaki na ang sahod natin kaya nararapat lang na gampanan nating mabuti ang ating trabaho,” said the member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991.
Acting on orders of Philippine National Police chief and his predecessor at the NCRPO, General Debold M. Sinas, the Metro Manila police director said he has directed all five NCRPO district directors, chiefs of police and station commanders and heads of different NCRPO officers to regularly account for their personnel in order to avoid absenteeism and the presence of ‘Lubog’ policemen.
“I would like to remind everybody that if they are caught engaged in this illegal activity they will be facing relief and criminal and administrative charges,” Sinas told the Journal Group.
Sinas said he wants the ‘Lubog’ practice fully stopped since it causes demoralization among majority of the police force who religiously perform their duties on a day-to-day basis only to see that some of their privileged colleagues are making money while performing outside jobs with the protection of their superiors.
The move also aims to make sure that there would be enough personnel in a given station to conduct patrols and other administrative duties.
In the past, Journal Group sources said that Regional, Provincial and District Mobile Groups, now known as Battalions, are the frequent sources of ’15-30’ policemen or those who give a big part of their monthly salaries and other allowances to their immediate supervisors or heads of office in exchange for their non-reporting to work since they tend to other business or are acting as unauthorized security personnel to Very Important Persons.
Danao, a known criminal nemesis, has warned rogue members of the Metro Manila police force to either mend their ways or suffer the consequences of their misdeeds.
In compliance with the instruction of Sinas to really ‘walk the talk’ in the performance of their duties, the NCRPO chief also warned his commanders to ‘shape up or ship out.’
He also reiterated his order that all NCRPO personnel must be accounted for 100 percent and that there should be no so-called ‘Lubog’ or ’15-30’ policemen under his command.
The official specifically called on policemen engaged in illegal drug activities to stop their illicit ways as he will implement his Oplan: Litis among rogue police officers. “This has been my program since Day 1 that I became commander at my own level. Oplan Litis means Litisin ang Tiwalag at Iskalawag na Miyembro ng Kapulisan,” he said.
When he was still the NCRPO director, Sinas vowed to fully support his officers including station commanders who will be subjected to ‘harassments’ by others in the event they go after ‘Lubog’ policemen in their units and offices.
Journal Group sources said during the time of Sinas, a Quezon City Police District station commander discovered the presence of three Police Non-Commissioned Officers in his office who sought reassignment after they were found not rendering duties.
Officials said it was a ‘clear case of Lubog arrangement’ between the three PNCOs and their previous station commanders.
After being informed of the discovery, Sinas said that any police commander in Metro Manila who will be found tolerating the practice in exchange for monthly monetary considerations will be relieved from his post and undergo administrative investigation.
Following the discovery, Sinas ordered the reassignment of the three QCPD personnel to the NCRPO Regional Mobile Force Battalion. He also ordered the filing of administrative charges against the three whom he said must be daily accounted by their new superiors from the NCRPO-RMFB.
It turned out that the three were the subject of reports and complaints that they are not performing their duties as beat patrollers in Q.C. for quite some time already and have been monitored to be escorting a millionaire businessman instead.
The Journal Group learned that an investigation showed the three PNCOs managed to ‘pay’ their previous officials so that they are not marked absent or AWOL in their assigned posts.
They also used their patron’s connection to make it difficult for their previous commanders to remove them from their posts.
