Philippines police chief offers to resign over drug crisis

The Philippine national police chief said on Thursday he has offered to resign to encourage nearly 1,000 other top police officials to do the same to regain public trust after some enforcers were arrested due to illegal drugs and further tainted the police force's notorious image. 

Interior secretary on Wednesday urged all police generals and colonels to submit their “courtesy resignations” in a drastic move to improve the police's image in the Philippines after front lines law enforcers of the drug crackdown were caught engaging in drug dealing.

Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told that those who would submit their “courtesy resignations,” essentially offers to voluntarily resign from the force, would stay in their jobs unless President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decides to accept their resignation after an investigation.

The national police force's image took a blow in October, when a police sergeant was arrested for drug pushing and for helping conceal nearly a ton of methamphetamines in Manila in October.