MANILA- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it was considering legal action against the producers of ABS-CBN's hit television series "Ang Probinsyano" over its supposed negative portrayal of policemen.

DILG Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the agency is "seriously considering" filing charges against the producers of the Coco Martin-starrer if they continue "with their grossly unfair and inaccurate portrayal of our police force."

"We will seriously consider filing legal action and imposing sanctions..."he said in a statement Friday.

Possible charges includes the prohibition on the use of police uniforms, properties and even using the acronym of the organization (PNP), said Malaya.

Malaya added that the DILG would also look at possible violations of the Children's Television Act of 1997 "because the show may have violated the National Council for Children's Television standards for television programs that should be child-friendly."

This comes after Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde expressed concerns over the negative portrayal of some policemen in the series which he called "very disturbing." The PNP is under the DILG.

ABS-CBN earlier assured the PNP that elements of the series are "purely fictitious as stated in the disclaimer aired at the start of the show every night."

"There is no intention to smear the reputation of any organization or portray any person in a negative light. The program has also portrayed its main character, Cardo, as a hardworking police officer dedicated to saving lives and serving his fellowmen." ABS-CBN said.

"As in the past years, 'FPJAP' has highlighted that good shall always triumph over evil and has shared valuable lessons and family values that have resonated with viewers," it added.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año meanwhile alleged Friday that the producers of "Ang Probinsyano" are "intentionally sending a wrong message to the public which is demoralizing the ranks of the PNP."

"Hindi namin sinasabi na lubos na malinis ang PNP. We have a few bad eggs but they are never tolerated and the DILG and PNP leadership is sweeping the ranks of the police organization to ensure that those 'rotten tomatoes' will be out of service," Año said in a statement.

(We are not saying that the PNP is completely clean.)

Año added that the DILG is open to discuss the matter with the show's producers.

"We are open to consultations with them at a mutually agreeable time to discuss these matters," he said.

News.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.

- Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News