MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — A 5-man advisory group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) recommended the acceptance of courtesy resignations of 4 police officers and the filing of administrative charges against them, retired PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. confirmed on Wednesday.

"We recommended it. And hopefully, chief PNP [chief Benjamin] Acorda will sustain our efforts on this," Azurin said in a message to reporters.

Azurin was a member of the 5-man advisory group which reviewed the courtesy resignation of 953 third-level officers of the police organization or those with ranks colonel up to general.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called for the courtesy resignations in January to give way to an investigation into the alleged links of some officers to the narcotics trade.

The next developments will rest on how the National Police Commission would act on the recommendations, Azurin said.

"As Chief Benjie stated earlier, he will name them once Napolcom started its formal investigation," said Azurin, who retired from police service on April 24 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

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In an interview on Wednesday, Acorda said that the police leadership would continue the campaign to rid the police organization of alleged drug syndicate infiltration.

"I am giving the assurance that all those personnel who are involved in this fiasco will be properly charged, appropriately charged and administratively and criminally and pipilitin natin na sila ay matatanggal sa serbisyo (we will make sure that they would be removed from service)," said Acorda.

Acorda declined to expound on the administrative charges against the 4 police officers to supposedly avoid preempting an upcoming press conference of the Napolcom and Abalos.

Abalos said that announcement would be made in 2 to 3 days.

"Just give us about probably 2 days so that all legalities ma-cover namin dito (will be covered). We just want that when we make a statement talagang airtight ang lahat na ito (everything will be airtight)," said Abalos.

Abalos said details of the investigation, including names, would be publicized.

In the same interview, Abalos updated the public on Napolcom's separate investigation on alleged irregularities in the 990-kilo drug haul in Tondo in October last year.

"Siguro just a few more weeks matatapos na rin kami rito," the interior secretary said.

(Maybe in just a few more weeks we will be able to complete the investigation.)

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