Police reformation

ROGUE cops or police scalawags are a small minority in the Philippine National Police (PNP). The majority of the rank-infile of the PNP, and especially troopers in the other armed services, are dedicated and law-abiding.

Thus, the few rogue policemen whose nefarious activities are contagious and bring dishonor to the uniform should not only be punished with alacrity but should also be summarily dismissed.

Hence, President Duterte has threatened, in one of his regular tirades and uncontrollable outbursts, to deport and reassign 300 erring or “rogue” policemen to violence-prone Sulu and Basilan for war front services.

The President has also ordered the authorities not to defray the funeral expenses or the cost of repatriation of the corpses of those inadvertently killed in the line of duty for the atonement of their misdeeds.

It is opined that this presidential order is not only unchristian and cruel but is also barbaric and unpresidential.

However, it is noted that unless presidential admonitions are validated in executive orders, in writing, presidential outbursts are invariably ignored or forgotten except as they refer directly to the President’s obsession with the war against drug trafficking.

Therefore, it is both unfair and counterproductive of President Duterte to condemn the whole PNP as corrupt-ridden.

The bottom line is a question of leadership not only from the top but also all the way to the station commanders.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) instead of feeling sorry about it has accepted the wakeup call and challenges by launching a police transformation – 2030.

Thus, to quote, “The Center for Police Strategy Management (CPSM) was established pursuant to Napolcom Resolution NO. 2012-318 to ensure the successful implementation of the PNP Peace and Order Agenda for Transformation and Upholding of the Rule of Law (Patrol Plan 2030) by integrating and ensuring the alignment of the strategies of all PNP units with the Agency Transformation Roadmap and … to attain the PNP’s vision of becoming a highly capable, effective and credible police service.”

All PNP units are to be constantly re-assessed, measured (scorecard), monitored, audited and disciplined.

In other words, the PNP is doing its own internal cleansing but transformation cannot be achieved overnight. However, the bottom line is leadership of officers and commanders.

If the officers are excessively lenient, tolerant, incompetent, patronizing, or in cahoots with rogue policemen, then the axe should fall on the commanders.

You be the judge.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far.” — Theodore Roosevelt