Tears Bato shed over the PNP

"Pinapasa-Diyos ko na lang itong sa PNP. I love the organization. I really want to reform the PNP. Ako'y hirap na hirap na. There are times when I don't know who to trust."

-- PNP chief Roland "Bato" de la Rosa, at the Senate committee hearing, Nov. 23, 2016

IT IS said that men cry when they lose something that they love as much as or more than themselves. That's ostensibly the reason PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa broke into tears at the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and drugs.

He drew sympathy, to be sure. But it must have also disturbed, if not scared, many Filipinos watching the nation's police force chief admitting helplessness in curbing corruption in PNP.

Leaving things to God is in effect saying he can't do much more about police officials, from generals to SPO1s, conniving with drug dealers in the campaign on illegal drugs. If it were really a war, it would be like his troops fighting with, not against, the enemy.

Increasingly, it is made clear that the drug trade has flourished because of the protection given by the police and, inevitably and inclusively, the prosecutors, judges, public officials, lawyers and others, including the communities where the drug lords reside and direct their business.

It is obvious that the corruption among the police was wider and messier than many of us thought: cops getting bribes; cops killing the bribe-givers, even scandalously, such as the rubout inside the jail; cops tampering affidavits and lists to clear themselves or extort money.

Meltdown

His boss curses; Bato cries. Effective sound effects and images on the public stage. But the problem at hand requires more than expletives or a meltdown.

The House hearings, aimed largely to nail down Sen. Leila de Lima, have opened a can of PNP worms as well. Can legislation help crush them?