CAMP CRAME, Quezon City — Warning that police officials—no matter the rank—cannot be absolved from responsibility when their subordinates violate the law, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service (IAS) recommended the dismissal of a police general over alleged irregularities committed by his men in last year’s arrest of 10 Chinese nationals and a Filipino in a police raid of a condominium in Parañaque City.

IAS Inspector General Brigido Dulay confirmed the recommendation sent to PNP chief Lieutenant General Rommel Marbil but did not identify the general.

It may be recalled that in the September 2023 raid, Southern Police District (SPD) operatives apprehended the Chinese nationals and Filipino individual for illegal possession of firearms at the Solemare Parksuites condominium in Baclaran, Parañaque City.

The police raiding team reported rescuing several Chinese nationals and confiscating ₱4.6 million in cash during the operation.

However, the arrested Chinese complained that they were ‘arbitrarily detained’ by the police and that personal items not covered by the warrant were also seized by the operatives.

The PNP’s IAS disclosed that further investigation in the police operation revealed the arresting officers confiscated ₱27 million in cash that was not covered by the warrant and not disclosed in the inventory of recovered evidence.

The agency added that the operatives planted firearms at the scene, tried to destroy closed circuit television camera footage, and turned off their body cameras during the raid.

Ten officers involved in the case were previously dismissed due to “grave misconduct, grave irregularity in the performance of duty, grave neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, less grave misconduct and less grave neglect of duty.”

In recommending the dismissal of the general, the IAS said this was based on him being the errant personnel’s commanding officer.

It concluded that the general “neglected his duty to ensure that operations were conducted in accordance with established protocols and ethical standards, leading to serious breaches of conduct by subordinate officers.”