PNP should profile rogue cops turned gun-for-hire, not teachers

The Philippine National Police (PNP) should focus profiling and surveillance efforts on dishonorably discharged police and military personnel who have become guns for hire, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said yesterday.

Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001 during the Estrada administration, cited many cases of such expelled law enforcers being tagged as suspects in recent heinous crimes.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) recently slammed the PNP for trying to profile public and private school teachers, saying it is an attack on the right to free expression and self-organization.

The group claimed that there was a police memorandum ordering the submission of a list of all ACT members in every school.

Malacañang denied that there is an existing policy of keeping teachers under surveillance, saying President Duterte loves and cares for these public servants.

Lacson stressed that focusing on these "rejects" (expelled policemen and soldiers) - who are likely skilled with firearms and other weapons – could even help solve or even preempt crimes.

"The PNP should instead conduct profiling and surveillance on dishonorably discharged PNP and AFP personnel to keep track of their post-discharge activities including their lifestyle," he said.

"In that way, they may be able to solve a lot of crimes, even preempt them," he added.

Such intelligence work should be part of the solution of recent heinous crimes, including killings with impunity, Lacson said.

He cited earlier reports indicating the killers of party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe last December included dismissed Army sergeants who allegedly are part of a local official's private army.

Lacson also cited reports that former policemen were among the armed bodyguards of Guimbal Mayor Oscar Garin and his son Rep. (Ist district, Iloilo) Richard Garin, who mauled a policeman also last December.

"I intend to raise this point when the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs investigates recent cases of killings with impunity," he said.