CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The deaths of two innocent teenagers in the hands of lawmen in Navotas City and Rizal last month could affect the trust rating of the Philippine National Police, said PNP chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. delivers a speech as guest of honor and speaker of the 122nd Police Service Anniversary celebration at the Police Regional Office-10 in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, September 1. (Franck Dick Rosete)
Acorda said these two incidents were the "negative aspect" of their campaign to gain the trust of the Filipino people but he assured that they are addressing the issue properly by filing cases against the police officers involved.
"We don’t tolerate this, we don’t condone this, and the review has already been undertaken together with the DILG and Napolcom to determine the further necessary things to do," Acorda said in a press conference during the 122nd Police Service Anniversary celebration at the Police Regional Office-10 in Barangay Lapasan, this city, on Friday, September 1.
The PNP, with a performance rating of 76 percent, ranked third among the most trusted and top-performing government agencies in the country, according to a survey conducted by the OCTA Research Group released on August 21.
After the incidents in Navotas and Rizal, Acorda said they reviewed various aspects of PNP management, including command responsibility, training, personnel discipline, and anger management.
Acorda, in his speech as guest of honor and speaker of the event, urged the Northern Mindanao police to focus on aggressive and honest police operations as well as follow the rule of law to avoid a repeat of the Navotas and Rizal incidents.
"We wanted that if we operated, the court would believe, the conviction rate would be high, and the general public would believe," Acorda said, assuring that internal cleansing would continue by disciplining police officers and removing those who do not want to change.
Police Major Joann Navarro, spokesperson of the PRO-10, said station commanders from all police units in Northern Mindanao conducted the Police Information and Continuing Education (PICE) following the Navotas and Rizal incidents.
PNP chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. answers questions from the media during a press conference during the 122nd Police Service Anniversary celebration at the Police Regional Office-10 in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, September 1. (Franck Dick Rosete)
PICE is one of the PNP programs where station commanders are tasked with briefing and reminding their personnel on the ground about the organization’s policies and guidelines for the use of firearms.
"That is very important because using a firearm is not necessary in all situations," Navarro said on Friday, stressing that conducting PICE has been their standard procedure even before the Navotas and Rizal incidents.
Seventeen-year-old Jemboy Baltazar was shot and killed by six operatives of the Navotas City Police Station after they mistook him for a crime suspect on August 2.
On August 20, 15-year-old John Frances Ompad was accidentally shot and killed by a police officer in Rodriguez, Rizal who intended to shoot his brother for allegedly ignoring a police checkpoint.
PRO-10 Director Police Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop said crime volume in Northern Mindanao significantly went down by 5.77 percent or 531 incidents in January to July this year to 8,667 from 9,198 in the same period last year.
PRO-10 also recorded a 3.54 percent decrease in eight focus crimes – murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, robbery, car theft, and motorcycle theft.
The PRO-10 obtained high ratings – trust (92 percent), respect (92 percent), safety (89 percent), and satisfaction (92 percent) – in a survey conducted by the Mindanao Development Authority from February 1 to 17, 2023 with 1,200 respondents.
During the event, police offices, stations, and units in the region were awarded for their accomplishments and crime reduction while several police officers were also feted for their exemplary performance.
Almost P1 million earned from PRO-10’s "Zumba for a Cause" was given to the Leukemia Parents and Patients Organizations to help them with patients’ medication and other expenses.
Acorda and other government officials also graced the blessing and turnover of the PRO-10 VIP Lounge which will be used by visitors of the regional headquarters.
PNP chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. and other government officials grace the blessing and turnover ceremony of the VIP Lounge at the Police Regional Office-10 in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, September 1. (Franck Dick Rosete)