Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Facebook)



Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers agrees with the National Police Commission's (Napolcom) observation that the Philippine National Police's (PNP) system of promotion and performance rating of anti-drug police operatives is seriously flawed. As per Napolcom Vice Chairman Alberto Bernardo, the promotion system credits the number of arrests and cobfiscations, leading to staged, fake, and fabricated “accomplishments”. This is to the detriment of innocent people who languish in jail with trumped up charges. “Imagine, based on these fake accompishments, the officers keep on being promoted until they are high up in the ladder and can control and influence the organization," Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said. "They have become so accustomed with their illegal activities that they have become a big part of the whole drug syndicate," he said. But what ticks off Barbers more is the recycling of illegal drugs that this flawed promotion system encourages. "The promotion is just one part, the worst part is the reward, monetary as well as 'saving' a huge chunk of the drug haul, as another form of rewarding themselves. This drug haul is called savings and end up being recycled back in the streets,” Barbers said. “I wholly subscribe to the findings of the Napolcom and I fully support their position. They can expect our full backing in the committee on dangerous drugs," he said. The Napolcom, an attached agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), oversees the PNP.