TWO policemen are dismissed daily on the average for corruption and other illegal activities, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa said on Thursday.

A total of 87 police officers accused of various grave offenses such as involvement in the illegal drug trade have been fire since he assumed office two months ago, Mr. Gamboa told GMA News.

Almost a thousand lawmen were dismissed from January to November this year.

Mr. Gamboa has intensified their internal cleansing program after controversies that hounded his predecessor Oscar Albayalde.

Mr. Albayalde resigned in October, almost a month before his mandatory retirement, due to allegations that he protected rogue cops involved in the recycling of illegal drugs seized from operations.

Mr. Gamboa, who is also a lawyer, cited the need to improve the image of the police force.

Mr. Gamboa declined to comment when asked if he thinks President Rodrigo R. Duterte will name him as the next police chief.

The other candidates for the top post are police deputy chief for operations Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan and Lieutenant General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, the chief of directorial staff of the PNP. — Emmanuel Tupas, Philippine Star

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