FINDING ANSWERS
Two statements concerning the Philippine National Police (PNP) that were in stark contrast to each other made a buzz last week.
On Monday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said: “This is my personal opinion — that there appears to be a grand conspiracy to conceal a criminal enterprise within the PNP.” The bombshell remark came amid the indictment of 30 cops over the ₱6.7 billion worth of shabu seized in 2022.
The following day, an official statement of the PNP said: “The Philippine National Police firmly denies allegations of a ‘grand conspiracy’ within its ranks and reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy for misconduct. We remain committed to upholding professionalism, integrity, and accountability in all aspects of our operations.”
Some people are probably in a quandary on which of the two contrasting statements ought to be believed. As a lawyer, I have to say that allegations have to be proven in a court of law and those accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in such court of law.
But in the so-called court of public opinion, it is often the other way around — one can be presumed guilty until proven innocent. It might be extremely unfair, yet that’s the harsh reality of human nature.
It is certainly extremely unfair to the many men and women in uniform who remain loyal to their sworn commitment to serve and protect, who put their lives on the line, who always strive to enforce the law with utmost professionalism, and who would not tolerate colleagues who go astray.
The sad reality is that the impact of bad eggs on the public’s perception of the police can depict the entire basket to be rotten—as what many cynics have been inclined to believe amid the apparent failure of the PNP to thoroughly cleanse its ranks. Even if the bad eggs are just a few, they have the capacity to exacerbate people’s distrust of law enforcers and subvert confidence in the criminal justice system.
The tendency of the public to judge the accused as guilty stems from past scandals where PNP officials have been implicated in crimes. The “ninja cops” controversy during the Duterte administration, where police recycled confiscated drugs, reinforced the belief that corruption is deeply entrenched in the PNP.
The indictments brought by the Department of Justice against the 30 cops that included two police generals were for violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 — for delay and bungling in the prosecution of drug cases (section 92) and the non-bailable offense of planting of evidence (section 29).
The charges concerned a “staged” drug bust in October 2022 in Manila. The Manila RTC has issued warrants of arrest for the accused but it dismissed the charges against one of the generals for lack of probable cause.
That incident in 2022 had prompted then Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos to ask the the courtesy resignation of all police colonels and generals in a bombshell announcement in early 2023.
I understand why Atty. Abalos did what he needed to. The police generals and full colonels comprise the critical hierarchy in the PNP leadership in this very crucial organization. The quality of its leaders can certainly determine whether the organization soars or falls. Having morally upright leaders can certainly inspire all PNP members — from the lowest ranked officers to the higherups — to do their utmost best.
He 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.
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.
Cleansing the PNP leadership and its ranks 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. 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 protected])