GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Police have warned its personnel against pawning or using their automated teller machine (ATM) cards as loan collateral.
Chief Inspector Noel Diagan, head of the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS), said they will conduct surprise random inspections among police units to ensure personnel always carry their ATM cards.
“All policemen are required to always carry their ATM cards based on a memorandum issued by the Philippine National Police Headquarters. This is to prevent our personnel from pawning their ATM cards and ensure that they will always hold onto them,” he said, adding, the inspections of the ATM cards are part of the continuing police efforts to instill proper discipline among its personnel.
“We’re trying to avoid situations wherein our personnel would resort to illegal activities due to debts and reduced take home pays,” he said.
Diagan said they already inspected several police stations here and found at least 4 cops at the Station-3 in Lagao village who failed to show their ATM cards. They have been warned, he added.
“These ATM cards are like issued firearms of our personnel so they should always carry and take care of them,” he said.
Under PNP Memorandum Circular 2014-004, all its personnel are required to have their ATM cards in their possession at all times. It said that the individual ATM cards of policemen are part of their uniform, non- transferable and should be surrendered only upon retirement or separation from the service. (Alejandro Saludo)
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