Philippine National Police chief General Benjamin Acorda announced on Monday that their office will no longer push through with the planned abolition of the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group’s special operations units, or SOUs.
According to Acorda, they will focus on a stricter vetting process for the anti-narcotics officers instead of abolishing the SOUs, saying that the issue is not with the anti-drug units but with the personnel.
He added that they prefer to continue monitoring and conducting background investigations of police officers to ensure that their paths will be straight.
The PDEG has been embroiled in drug-related problems, which include an alleged cover-up of a sting in Manila in October last year, which culminated in the confiscation of P6.7 billion in shabu and the arrest of former M/Sgt. Mayo, Rodolfo Jr.
Brig. Gen. Faro Olaguera, director of the PDEG, called Acorda's decision to keep the SOUs a "welcome development."
Meanwhile, Olaguera said yesterday that 117 PDEG personnel had been dismissed from their duties.
He stated that PDEG personnel would be restructured in the following days to minimize familiarization.
