TODAY, there is a seemingly string of criminal incidents where policemen are involved as perpetrators instead of the ones solving them—a scenario you think you would only see in movies.
It is an unpleasant picture to see 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.
Eight policemen have recently been charged with highway robbery, serious illegal detention, and kidnapping for the P2-million robbery-abduction incident at the EDSA-Mandaluyong City last Sept. 1. The officers were also dismissed from their duties.
Only two of the eight involved are under custody of the authorities, the other six immediately went in hiding. Upon further investigation, three more are implicated for the EDSA incident, one of which is another policeman.
In August, a Pasay City policeman was implicated for the killing of international race car driver Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor on June 12. PO2 Edgar Angel confessed that he was hired as a hitman and has been paid P100,000 to get the job done.
The case would have been closed by now, after the police implicated businessman Domingo De Guzman and Pastor’s wife Dahlia for the murder. However, on Monday, Sept. 9, Angel retracted his earlier statements and denied involvement in the killing. He also said that he was bullied by arresting officers into admitting the crime and forced to sign a “scripted” confession out of fear for his own life.
At the forefront of these scandals is the 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.
Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac appealed to the public to not discount the entire organization for the fault of a handful of misfits. He assured that the organization is committed on cleaning its ranks.
Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. concurred. He allayed concerns on the integrity and performance of PNP. He also said that the government has “zero tolerance” for rogue cops. The government stands firm in putting a stop to the tide of criminality and improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to solve crimes.
Coloma encouraged a more active civic participation in crime deterrence. Currently, the Philippines has 148,000 policemen manning the streets for a population of 100 million or a ratio of one cop for every 675 people.
The severity of these recent incidents leaves Filipinos vulnerable. They have no choice but to trust that the government will take appropriate actions in dealing with criminality within the police force.
Clearly, the situation calls for strong and effective civilian oversight of the police. Going on an all-out war against crime is beyond the power of the government alone. This campaign can only be deemed successful with the engagement of the public.
(AJPress)
