Bato blames media for negative news about policemen

MANILA — Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa warned Caloocan cops to follow the rule of law because the media will blow incidents out of proportion.

Dela Rosa will personally oversee the 30-day retraining of 1,143 sacked Caloocan policemen starting yesterday.

"Observe natin dahil konting pagkamali natin palalakihin 'yan ng media. Sigurado 'yan," Dela Rosa said, receiving applause from police officers relieved of their posts after Caloocan police officers were implicated in the deaths of teens and in an unauthorized raid that devolved into a home robbery.

The PNP chief also lashed out at the media for underreporting on police casualties in law enforcement operations.

"'Yung kasamahan natin si PO1... nasa ospital pa ngayon, 'yung nasaksak doon sa Caloocan na-magnify ba 'yun ng media? Hindi 'yun na-magnify. Bakit? Hindi magandang balita 'yun," he said.

The police chief said that he had to "swallow his pride" every time his officers make mistakes.

"Nilulunok ko yung pride ko every time magkakamali tayo... Hindi ako mahiya na umiyak sa harap ng tao kung ako ay nasasaktan," Dela Rosa, who has broken down in tears at Senate hearings twice, said.

Despite undergoing retraining after a spate of killings of teenagers, Dela Rosa told the relieved Caloocan cops that he admires them.

Dela Rosa defended the Caloocan police officers, stressing that they were only addressing the illegal drug trade in the city.

"Masasabi ko pa rin, sa harapan nitong mga media nandito ngayon, I am still very proud of my men, of what we have done to Caloocan kahit na sabihin ninyo... na yung mga tao ko ay tarantado," the PNP chief said.

The police chief told the dismissed Caloocan cops that they should consider the retraining as an opportunity to improve their skills.