16 police recruits fail to graduate over drinking spree, training chief sacked

Ever do something stupid involving liquor that you wished people would just forget?

Well, 16 police academy trainees who missed their graduation yesterday are probably feeling much the same way. The group were barred from the ceremony after they were caught drinking in their dormitory in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, and their training chief was removed from his post, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced today.

PNP Chief Archie Gamboa told reporters that the recruits had posted photos of their Jan. 29 drinking spree on Facebook (probably because they were reeeaaallllly sober), a violation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive prohibiting police from drinking in public, ABS-CBN reports.

The incident irked the police chief so much that he vowed the aspiring police force delinquents will “not get any appointment” in the PNP, Manila Bulletin reports.

Gamboa said he also removed Training Director Lt. Col. Nelvin Ricohermoso and 14 other trainers from their posts because of the students’ actions.

Read: ‘Tuesdays, Thursdays, and if they were bored, Wednesdays’: PNP chief sacks 3 cops for chronic golfing

Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police Office acting chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas told The Philippine Daily Inquirer that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“[T]hese police trainees are temporarily held in abeyance and not included in the list of graduates for February 10, 2020,” Sinas said. He added that the incident should serve as a warning to other cops to be “morally upright but most of all, perpetually disciplined.”