FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey D. Lina I’ve always been saying that quality of leadership is critical in any organization. If beyond reproach, it can inspire full support and cooperation of all subordinates in striving for excellence. And the need for first-rate quality is undoubtedly of vital importance in the leadership hierarchy of Philippine National Police. For so long a time, the country has been saddled with a police force suffering from a sullied image, from supposed law enforcers who betray the trust bestowed on them when they are armed and equipped to uphold the law and go after criminals, but make a mockery of their sworn duty when they become criminals themselves. That illegal drugs can be sold by pushers who are supposedly police anti-drugs operatives certainly speaks volumes on the current state of law enforcement in the Philippines, and the impunity of some who belong to the pillars of our criminal justice system. In other countries, being a law enforcer who uses his position to become a law breaker is considered an aggravating circumstance that merits penalty at its fullest extent. Of course, most men and women in uniform remain loyal to their sworn commitment to serve and protect the general public, put their lives on the line, and always strive to enforce the law with utmost professionalism. But the many instances of high-profile crimes perpetrated by some members of the PNP, in wanton disregard of their sworn duty, shows an aberration in the system and the need for far-reaching reforms, if not a drastic overhaul of the system through which the PNP is supposed to fulfill its mandate. Thus, it’s understandable why Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos sought the courtesy resignation of all police colonels and generals in a bombshell announcement as the New Year kicked in. “I know this is sudden, but this is the only way to make a fresh start. We will do something drastic. It is a very radical approach to this problem, but I do believe we must cleanse our ranks,” he said. The police generals and full colonels comprise the hierarchy in the PNP leadership which is indisputably a very critical factor in the life of this very crucial organization. The quality of its leaders can certainly determine whether the organization soars or falls. Having first-rate and morally upright leaders can inspire all PNP members – from the lowest ranked officers to the police lieutenant colonels – to do their best. Sec. Abalos certainly knows the value of good leaders and the need to get rid of the bad or the not-so-good. When I was Interior Secretary and ex-officio chairman of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) which administers and controls the PNP, we did not hesitate to relieve from their posts several generals and other ranking officers for failure to curb illegal gambling. Cleansing the PNP leadership would certainly spell the difference on whether positive transformation would come about, or if it shall still be business as usual for scalawags going on a rampage in a climate of impunity and depravity. Of course, the cleansing must be a continuing process down the line. While rogue cops constitute a very small minority of the PNP, the grim reality is that they have the capacity to exacerbate the people’s deepening mistrust in law enforcement and even subvert our confidence in the criminal justice system. And focus must also be on those entering the PNP. Essential measures – like thorough screening and selection of police recruits, education and training, values formation, periodic evaluation to determine continuing physical, emotional, mental, and moral fitness – ought to be strengthened to ferret out bad eggs. Indeed, the recruitment process must ensure shady characters are kept out, and pre-admission screening ought to spot red flags that must not be ignored. As the 19th-century social reformer Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Email: [email protected]