Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa on Tuesday, March 22 said he is disappointed that some policemen are blinded by money.
During his Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee public hearing on the missing 34 ‘sabungeros’ (cockfighting afficionados) yesterday, dela Rosa warned policemen from misusing their uniforms and badges to commit unlawful activities.
He issued the warning after testimonies were given during the hearing, pointing to the involvement of some policemen on the missing ‘sabungeros’ and a questionable raid on the house of an ‘e-sabong’ master agent where a heavy steel safe was carried away by three persons, all believed to be policemen, and the confiscation of personal belongings of the people in the house.
‘’Yan nga ang kinatakutan ko from the very start of the investigation na baka nawawala na yung ninja cops at napapalitan na ng e- sabong cops at tila dahan dahan nga itong nagkatotoo (That was what I was afraid of from the very start of the investigation which was the transformation of ‘ninja’ cops to ‘e-sabong (online cockfighting) cops. This fears appear to be coming true),’’ dela Rosa said.
The term ‘’ninja’’ was coined to indicate policemen straying from their path of office as protectors of the people.
Like presidential candidate Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, dela Rosa is also a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
President Duterte had increased the monthly pay of PNP officials and personnel to P40,000, more than the teachers’. The rationale for this is for them to do their sworn duty and not to be blinded by money or favors.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, a former Senate president, said the case of the missing "sabungeros" had been referred to the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
In a statement, Pimentel said: ‘’I hope they will be able to solve these crimes.’’
‘’There is no perfect crime. And the abductions happened in not less than 10 places,’’ he stressed.
‘’There cannot be ten perfect unsolvable crimes. If the combined best investigators from the PNP and the NBI cannot solve these crimes then it may be time to ask them hard questions on their competence, dedication to their work, etc.,’’ he added.