By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Officials of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) who allegedly failed to act promptly on the April 3 hazing incident may face administrative charges under the principle of command responsibility, the police force’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) said Wednesday.
IAS Inspector General lawyer Brigido Dulay Jr. said senior PNPA officials are automatically included in the probe due to the delayed submission of incident reports to higher headquarters, despite a recent reshuffle of officers under investigation.
“Kahit tanggalin mga PNPA personnel hindi pa rin sila ligtas sa imbestigasyon ng IAS kasi ‘yung sala ay continuing naman ‘yan (Even if the PNPA personnel were removed, they are still not safe from the IAS investigation because the offense is continuing),” Dulay told reporters in an interview.
He noted that police commanders are expected to act within 12 to 24 hours once an incident is reported.
Dulay said penalties for command responsibility range from 10 to 180 days suspension without pay and may include demotion depending on the findings.
Tighter guidance
Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered commanders nationwide to closely mentor new PNPA graduates, stressing discipline, professionalism, and proper onboarding.
He urged senior officers to abandon outdated practices and align with ongoing anti-hazing reforms.
“The character and mindset of these young people also depend on how you would hone them as officers of our beloved organization. Integrity, discipline and professionalism are our basic standards, let that serve as their strong foundation as they use what they learned from the Academy in the real world,” Nartatez said in a statement.
He also directed units to stop improper reception practices and ensure structured onboarding for new officers.
A total of 326 cadets of the PNPA Silang-Paglaom Class of 2026 were formally inducted into active service at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
The new officers – 230 males and 96 females – will undergo a 45-day investigation officers’ course before deployment. (PNA)
