Senator Ronald dela Rosa said on Tuesday that he will file a bill that would prevent policemen figured in grave offenses from returning to the police service.
Dela Rosa disclosed his plan as he expressed his frustration over the crimes involving rogue policemen who remain in the Philippine National Police (PNP) despite cases and complaints.
"Alam mo nagretire na ako sa PNP pero 'yong frustration ko ngayon mararamdaman ko pa rin 'pag may mga ganoong klaseng pangyayari, lalong-lalo na 'yong kay Nuezca (You know, I have retired from the PNP but my frustration remains when such incidents happen, especially that of Nueza)," he said during a hearing of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee Tuesday, January 26.
The former PNP chief referred to the viral case of Parañaque City cop Jonel Nuezca, who shot dead shot dead Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank in Paniqui, Tarlac last December 20. The killing was caught on video and was also witnessed by his young daughter.
"Tignan niyo yong kaso ni Nuezca, ang dami pala niyang pending case, tapos andyan pa rin sa serbisyo? Ang kanyang mga kaso…homicide, umiwas sa drug test, eh di ba sa PNP that is a dismissal offense? Bakit hindi siya nadismiss? Hanggang sa nakapatay pa siya ng mag-ina doon sa Tarlac. Kung nadismiss na 'yan hindi na sana siya nakapatay doon," Dela Rosa said.
(Look at Nuezca's case, he had a lot of pending cases, but he remained in service. His previous cases included homicide and he also refused to undergo drug testing, when in the PNP, that is a dismissal offense? Why was he not dismissed? He ended up killing a mother and a son in Tarlac. If he was dismissed, he would have not been able to kill anybody.)
"But anyway, meron akong bill na kina-craft ngayon na dapat 'yong pulis, lalo na 'yong mabibigat, halata talaga, hindi na dapat makabalik sa serbisyo (I am now crafting a bill wherein policemen who have been involved in grave offenses that were obvious, would not be allowed anymore to return to their service)," he said.
Dela Rosa said it has been a practice of dismissed policemen to re-apply in the PNP when issues against them have died down and authorities who ordered their dismissal have retired.
While he noted that some policemen who return to service manage to change and improve their behavior, he said others were "business-as-usual" and continued to be involved in irregularities such as extortion and illegal drug recycling.
"That should not happen kung talagang may maganda tayong batas na nagcocover nito (if we have a law that would really cover this)," he said.
In the same hearing, Dela Rosa stressed the need for a single government body that would handle all investigation and disciplinary actions against erring policemen.
"That is worth examining, that is worth contemplating. Bakit, despite the number of regulating agencies, disciplinary mechanisms ng PNP, bakit ganon pa rin ang pag-uugali ng ating kapulisan?" he lamented.
The Senate public order panel was discussing bills seeking to strengthen and reform the PNP's Internal Affairs Service, the independent unit in charge of investigating and filing complaints against police officers.