MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a stricter internal crackdown against erring police personnel following the arrest of two active-duty officers facing rape and domestic violence charges in Metro Manila and Mindanao.

In a statement on Sunday, Nartatez said the arrests should serve as a warning that uniformed personnel will not be shielded from accountability.

“Let these simultaneous arrests serve as a stern warning that our badge and our uniform will never be a shield against the law, and the Philippine National Police will aggressively hunt down anyone within our ranks who believes they can evade accountability,” he said.

He added that the arrest of active personnel facing serious criminal cases should help reassure the public that the organization is willing to discipline its own ranks.

“We are sending a clear message to the public that we will not tolerate any scalawags, and we will actively weed them out in the interest of integrity and trust in the police organization,” he said.

On June 20, the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) arrested an active police officer in Quezon City over a rape case. The warrant was issued by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court and carries no bail recommendation.

On the same day, an officer from Police Regional Office 11 was arrested in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, by IMEG operatives over two domestic abuse cases filed by his wife under Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.

Authorities served warrants for violation of Section 5(i) of RA 9262, with bail set at PHP72,000, and Section 5(a), which covers slight physical injuries, with bail set at PHP6,000.

Nartatez ordered the immediate filing of administrative cases against the involved personnel in line with PNP rules and regulations.

He also directed IMEG and other units to intensify monitoring of personnel linked to criminal cases, illegal drugs, and domestic abuse complaints.