42 police cadets sacked for not reporting incident
Forty-two Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) cadets have been expelled from the school for alleged dishonesty in the investigation into the purported hazing of at least 22 sophomores last month, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
“They were expelled for keeping quiet. They were there at the barracks when it happened. The ones who kept quiet, who condoned it, who didn’t report it, all of them have been dismissed,” Remulla said.
“What will happen if they were already police officers? That’s their oath. If there is wrongdoing, they must report it. They did nothing. That’s why they were expelled … They don’t have other cases but dishonesty.”
The expelled cadets supposedly did nothing when 22 sophomore cadets were allegedly smothered with a mixture of drain cleaner and muriatic acid in their barracks at the PNPA campus in Camp General Mariano Castañeda in Silang, Cavite, last April 3.
Nine charged
Seven cadets and the two technical officers in charge at the barracks for the day were charged with violating Republic Act No. 11053, or the Anti-Hazing Act, before the Cavite prosecutor’s office.
Since then, according to Remulla, the PNPA has assigned an officer to keep upperclassmen from entering their juniors’ barracks after their classes.
Further, Remulla noted that his department was reviewing the PNPA’s curriculum.
“There are changes taking place,” he said.
“We are shifting the PNP from the PMA (Philippine Military Academy) model of teaching police matters to a more civilian-led organization rather than a military-led organization,” Remulla added.
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