Vice President Leni Robredo welcomed the decision of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to finally share with the Department of Justice (DOJ) their records on the administration's bloody drug war, almost five years after the campaign started.
Robredo made the statement after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the DOJ was given access to 61 cases where the PNP Internal Affairs Services had found liability on the part of the police.
In an interview with "Viewpoint" over the Now You Know Facebook page, Robredo welcomed this development, describing it as an important first step.
"I think it's a very important first step that PNP is opening the institution to investigation. By giving DOJ to their records, the message is 'We're open to investigation,'" she said.
She likewise praised PNP chief General Guillermo Eleazar for making the move and promising that they will weed out the bad apples in the organization.
"I think General Eleazar made very important statements in the last few days. Sinasabi niya na (He said,) 'rogue elements of the PNP will not be left unpunished.' I think it's a fair enough warning," she added.
Vice President Robredo, however, believed that the PNP has more good guys than bad ones.
"Mas marami pa rin yung matitino (There are many good cops) and the institution is being dragged by a few na parang sila yung nakakaapekto in a very bad way ng reputation ng institution (who taint the PNP's reputation in a very bad way)," she said.
She added that the public's trust in the PNP will be restored if they are able to purge the organization of rogue cops.
"If PNP will be serious in really making these rogue members answerable, malilinis nila yung reputation (They will clean their reputation)," Robredo said.
"Importante (It's important) that people will have confidence in the institution," she added.
The DOJ getting access to 61 cases took place months after Guevarra revealed to the United Nations that the PNP did not follow protocol in anti-drug operations where suspects were killed after resisting arrest.
The 61 cases, however, are only less than one percent of the more than 7,000 cases of deaths during police drug operations.
Eleazar, in an interview with ANC, said the PNP will provide the DOJ access to all their records as long as they requested their availability.