THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) has agreed to reorganize its Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to strengthen its capabilities, IAS Inspector General Manager Alfegar Triambulo said.

Mr. Triambulo met with PNP Officer-in-Charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa at the police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday to thresh out differences, Mr. Triambulo, who wanted to separate his office, said by telephone.

Mr. Gamboa had agreed to propose the IAS reorganization, including bringing in more personnel, to the National Police Commission (Napolcom), said the IAS chief. As officer-in-charge, Mr. Gamboa also sits as an ex-officio member of the Napolcom.

Mr. Triambulo is asking Congress to amend the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act by making IAS an independent body. The office is in charge of investigating erring police officers.

He wants the IAS to be separate from the police force to give the investigating body more authority in prosecuting rogue policemen.

Mr. Triambulo said they wanted to hire more lawyers if Napolcom is agreeable to the proposal.

The IAS only has 29 lawyers, including Mr. Triambulo and this is not enough to handle all the administrative cases involving rouge police officers.

Former police chief General Oscar Albayalde in May approved the request of the IAS to recruit 50 lawyers. Mr. Triambulo said this was deferred pending assessment.

The IAS will have its own divisions under its proposal. The body helps in filing criminal cases against erring cops, Mr. Triambulo said.

“We will also conduct research to assist in the attitude and behavior of police officers,” he said. “We can’t do that now because we don’t have a division for that.” — Emmanuel Tupas, Philippine Star

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