AS the saying goes, it only takes one rotten apple to ruin the whole bunch because the decay can quickly spread to the good ones.
Such is the case of police officers, whose indiscretion left at least 50 individuals hurt as the dispersal of protestors in front of the United States Embassy in Manila turned violent last Wednesday, October 19.
A van, driven by a police officer, repeatedly rammed protesters who gathered near the embassy.
The groups that protested were part of the national minority and peasant groups from across the country who came to demand an end to the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines, and to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for an independent foreign policy.
The man behind the wheel, PO3 Franklin Kho, and eight other police officers involved in the violent dispersal were relieved from duty by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
Kho will also be facing criminal charges for serious physical injuries and will be held liable for gross misconduct, particularly violation of existing police operation procedures.
Meanwhile, despite valiant efforts by the government to thwart the proliferation illegal drugs in the country, there are still police personnel who have tested positive for the use of illegal drugs.
According to recent reports, 174 police personnel have tested positive for the use of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. Of that number, 167 are uniformed, while the highest ranking official among those who tested positive is a senior inspector.
It is an unpleasant sight to see for officers you expect to uphold the law and apprehend criminals, as the same people the citizenry should be afraid of. It is a betrayal of trust and a degradation of peace and security.
At the forefront of these scandals is the 160,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP), the central government unit in charge of ensuring the public’s safety and purging misfits from the streets, and now from its organization.
PNP Crime Laboratory director Chief Superintendent Aurelio Trampe Jr. said this figure is alarming.
“I think it’s alarming because we are supposed to implement the law and they are violating the law they are supposed to implement,” Trampe said as he assured that the organization is committed to cleaning its ranks.
The government has already implemented a “zero tolerance” for rogue cops and encourages a more active civic participation for a more proactive approach in crime deterrence and an effective civilian oversight of the police force. (AJPress)
