All these salary increases for police, but "they cannot solve" a single case of killing.

Senator Richard Gordon made the observation Thursday, March 11, as he lamented the spate of killings in the country and the rate of unsolved cases which involved members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

At the resumption of the Senate justice and human rights committee's inquiry on the "alarming" rate of killings in the Philippines, Gordon noted the raises that have been made in the salaries of uniformed personnel in the PNP.

"All of them have just been paid well, better than teachers and nurses. A total of 207,316 positions filled, and yet they cannot solve any case," Gordon claimed, citing 2021 data from the PNP.

He further said: "Kung tanungin kaya kayo ng mga anak niyo: 'Tatay bakit walang naso-solve ang pulis'? Matitignan niyo ba nang diretso (If your children asked you: 'Father, why can't policemen solve any case'? Could you look them in the eye)?" "Sabi nga bisaklat ang mga pulis, walang focus (They say police are scattered all over, there is no focus). How many thousands of cold cases are there na hindi na nabubuksan (that are no longer being opened)?" he added.

For instance, he cited a recent report finding that some 30,000 were killed within ten years by motorcycle-riding gunmen, "halos walang naso-solve (almost nothing has been solved yet)." From January 1 to March 10 this year, Gordon said there have been 92 victims of shootings involving assailants that are riding in tandem.

The senator also said there have been "too many cases where policemen are involved", citing the so-called "Bloody Sunday" when police in Southern Luzon killed nine in a series of search operations against activists being linked to communist rebels; and the recent death of Calbayog, Samar Mayor Ronaldo Aquino in what police insisted was an encounter last Monday, March 8.

"Nakakahiya ang ginagawa ng ilang taong unipormado (What some of the uniformed personnel are doing is shameful). How can you look at your children at night, or you go home, and some of your members are not good, law-abiding citizens?)," he said.

"You are authorized by people to carry a weapon for justice, use the very platform that has been given to you to harass, abuse, maim and kill people," he lamented.

"We will not take it any longer…while we cooperate with the executive, we will not cooperate with injustice, you are not exempt from the long arm of the law. You are not exempt from facing charges just because you wear a uniform and a badge," he told the PNP.

Gordon is pushing for the passage of his proposed "Police Courts Act", which would task the Supreme Court to create a special court to handle all civil and criminal cases involving members of the PNP and allegations of abuse whether off duty or during operations.

"To see to it that any criminal among the policemen will not be lost in the bureaucracy, will not be able to hide, that a case has been filed against them in court," he explained.

He said this would guarantee an "efficient and high-quality decision and resolution of cases" involving policemen.

In 2018, President Duterte signed a joint resolution authorizing the increase of the base pay of military and police personnel until 2019.