The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday that 917 out of 953 police officials who submitted their courtesy resignations were cleared by the five-man advisory committee of any links to illegal drugs.

In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that among the third-level officers, 36 were under investigation.

“As announced previously by our SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government Benjamin Abalos, Jr.) 917 out of the 953 were cleared,” Fajardo said.

“It will be the prerogative of the President but for the remaining 36, they will undergo further evaluation by the Napolcom (National Police Commission). And eventually, once the findings will be submitted to the President, it will be the authority and discretion of the President whose resignations he will accept,” she added.

Fajardo did not name the 36, and did not say how many were generals.

In a separate press conference, newly-appointed PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr. said it was up to the President to decide whether the names of the 36 police officials would be publicized.

“With regards to making the names public, I think it will be upon the recommendation of the advisory group. But what I can say is that it had been done. The process had been completed. It will be submitted to the President…if you are asking my opinion, I leave that to the President to make this public or not,” Acorda said.

In January, Abalos had called on police colonels and generals to submit courtesy resignations as part of the government’s effort to cleanse the ranks from being involved with the illegal drug trade.

A five-man committee was created to examine the records of the top police officials and recommend to the President whose resignations should be accepted based on their findings. Jaspearl Tan/DMS