Lawmakers divided on Tokhang, Bato

Lawmakers are divided over proposals to suspend the anti-drug campaign Oplan Tokhang, citing the number of policemen involved in the extortion-slay case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.

A number of senators shared a common opinion that the killing of Jee was not isolated, saying the Philippine National Police (PNP) should focus on cleansing its ranks before anything else.

Sens. Joseph Victor Ejercito and Vicente Sotto III yesterday categorically stated Tokhang should be suspended while the internal cleansing of the police force is taking place.

“The PNP should consider suspending Oplan Tokhang while they are cleansing their ranks as a result of this controversial case. It is essential that cleansing of the force be done ASAP to restore trust and confidence in the police force and the government as well,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito said the PNP leadership should carefully handle the case of Jee and ensure that all the personalities involved are prosecuted and jailed.

Sotto said the emergence of numerous complaints about the rogue cops extorting money from individuals, particularly foreign businessmen under the guise of the war on drugs showed the case of Jee was not isolated.

“The PNP should consider a halt (in Tokhang) until they have cleansed their ranks,” he said.

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the Senate hearing into the case of Jee last Thursday established that “this type of abuse and wrongdoing was not isolated.”

“Rotten elements in the PNP are abusing the government’s drug war for their personal gain,” he said.

Aquino said that the reports of abuses by members of the PNP are worrisome and shakes the foundation of the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

He said that the PNP leadership should now shift its focus from the war on drugs to cleansing its ranks of scalawags.

“I was happy to hear from the PNP leadership that they will prioritize cleaning up their ranks even more than the drug war. If they don’t clean up, their efforts will be futile because more of these bad elements in the PNP will take advantage of the current landscape,” Aquino said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros argued the disregard for human rights by the police in the war against drugs inevitably led to the kidnapping and extortion cases being done in the name of Oplan Tokhang.

“I fully agree that the government must fight the proliferation of illegal drugs. But it must do it legally and not at the expense of human rights,” Hontiveros said.

“Tokhang for ransom is the direct result of an anti-drug campaign that has shunned human rights and the rule of law and encouraged extrajudicial killings. It opened a Pandora’s box of pure evil,” she added.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who initiated the inquiry into the case of Jee as chairman of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said he is not inclined to support the calls for the suspension of Oplan Tokhang.

“The momentum is clearly on the side of the police and other law enforcement agencies. Suspending Tokhang would stymie their gains so far attained in the war against illegal drugs. What I want the PNP to give equal importance and focus is the internal cleansing of scalawags in their ranks who take advantage of the vulnerability of victims who become helpless targets of harassments by the rogue police officers,” he said.

Lacson presented proof during the hearing to support his claims that extortion cases involving policemen are not isolated incidents.

He said he wanted to impress on PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa that internal cleansing is just as important as the war on drugs.

Lacson told Dela Rosa that the actions of a few rotten cops are enough to cause serious damage on the PNP as an organization.

Lacson aired his confidence that Dela Rosa would be able to cleanse the ranks of the PNP of scalawags and bring discipline back to its ranks.

“The problem is they are too focused on their drug war that they have neglected internal cleansing, internal discipline,” said Lacson, who was once a PNP chief himself.

According to Lacson, Dela Rosa has committed to create a composite team composed of 100 personnel from various units of the PNP.

Their main task is to conduct counter-intelligence on the suspected scalawags, monitoring their every move and conducting background checks on these people.

Lacson said he was told by Dela Rosa that a mere one percent of the approximately 150,000-strong PNP are considered scalawags in uniform.

“While it can be said that this is rather symbolic, once it is shown that the police are going after their fellow police and they are punished, dismissed or even charged criminally, then they will start toeing the line,” he said.

Trace the money

For starters, the AntiMoney Laundering Council ( AMLC) should help the PNP check the money trail of the reported P5-million ransom paid by Jee’s widow to the policemen involved in the killing, Lacson said.

Lacson said the AMLC should look into the bank accounts of the accused po- licemen, including SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, and his superior at the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG), Supt. Raphael Dumlao.

Aquino, for his part, also wanted to know who were among those who partook of the ransom money. He said tracing the money trail would help in the investigation.

Sen. Grace Poe said Dela Rosa should dig deeper into the apparent conspiracy involving high-ranking police officers in the case.

Poe said Dela Rosa should order lifestyle checks starting with policemen with derogatory records.

It was Poe who raised the matter of Sta. Isabel’s wealth during the hearing on Thursday.

Sta. Isabel declared a net worth of P17.3 million in 2015 including five houses in Caloocan City and one commercial building in Quezon City despite having a salary of only P8,000 a month. He attributed his wealth to the various businesses – including a Lotto outlet and a Western Union remittance office – mainly run by his wife, a law graduate.

The multimillionaire cop also owns a 2014 Toyota Hilux, 2012 Toyota Vios, 2014 Honda tricycle and 2012 Kawasaki tricycle, based on his statement of assets, liabilities, net worth (SALN) presented during the Senate hearing on Thursday.

Poe however said it must be determined how Sta. Isabel obtained capital to start their businesses.

Now that the freedom of information in the executive is already in place and the President has appointed a civilian head in the PNP Internal Affairs Service, Poe said she would request for the SALN of the accused cops.

“Gen. Dela Rosa said he has a list of rogue policemen, so maybe it’s there we should start (lifestyle checks) and compare them with their SALNs,” Poe said.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez however said Dela Rosa should resign since he is answerable for the illegal activities of his men.

“Under the principle of command responsibility, ultimately, Director General Ronald dela Rosa has a measure of accountability for these atrocities committed by his men,” the Quezon lawmaker said.

Under the same principle, Suarez said Dela Rosa could not escape responsibility for the killing of Jee led by principal suspect Sta. Isabel.