Weeping with Bato

President Duterte teased that his favorite cop is an “actor.” But the President also said he shared Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s frustration over the rot in the Philippine National Police. The jovial PNP chief openly broke down the other day as he listened to testimonies at the Senate accusing police officials of involvement in the illegal drug trade and possible hand in recent killings attributed to vigilantes.

Asked what he planned to do with the rot running deep in his organization, Dela Rosa wept as he admitted that he was at a loss and was no longer sure whom to trust in the PNP. Sought for comment, the President reiterated his full support for honest cops who implement his war on the drug menace, but warned that he would be harsh on PNP scalawags.

The President should make sure his message is carried all the way down to the lowest rungs of the PNP. Already, some mayors in Metro Manila have warned that the thousands of unsolved killings are making their constituents lose trust in the police. Public support is crucial for successful law enforcement.

PNP officials have taken responsibility for only about half of the drug-related killings, now nearing 4,000, since the start of the new administration. The rest have been attributed to vigilantes. PNP officials have admitted that some of the killers may be crooked cops who are silencing people they employ as street pushers. The truth can only be known if each unexplained killing is thoroughly investigated. This, however, is not being done, and it is breeding impunity.

With even ranking officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs being murdered in busy streets in Metro Manila, there are valid fears that the deadly violence is spreading beyond those involved in the drug trade. The threat is enough to make Filipinos weep along with the PNP chief.