YEARENDER: PNP's strengths, weaknesses highlighted in 2009

MANILA, Philippines - The spotlight was on the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009, and not always in a good way, highlighted by the roles – positive and negative - it played in the infamous massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao. The massacre showed how political clans like the Ampatuans had laughed off the PNP’s campaign against loose firearms and private armies, and confirmed the reality that politicians indeed control the police force in their fiefdom.

Had the members of the Maguindanao Provincial Police and those of the Datu Unsay town police lived up to their sworn duty to protect the people, the killings might not have happened.

The sad reality, however, was that policemen from that part of Mindanao took part in the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 innocent people, including 30 journalists.

The carnage was blamed on a scion of the Ampatuan family, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who allegedly led his armed supporters that included policemen and civilian militia to ambush the convoy of his gubernatorial rival, Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.

The massacre elicited worldwide condemnation that forced President Arroyo to take stronger measures and place Maguindanao under an eight-day martial law and put an end to the reign of the Ampatuans.

The PNP took notice that even before the investigation started, the supporters of the Ampatuans had already moved to derail all efforts of the authorities to arrest and prosecute members of the family for the murders, prompting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file charges of rebellion against them.

The declaration of martial law allowed the authorities to take the Ampatuans and their supporters into custody.

The PNP and the military also seized thousands of firearms and ammunition allegedly belonging to the Ampatuans that were buried in different areas in the province.

The massacre took place a week before the end of the two-month long gun amnesty program implemented by the PNP, a program designed to minimize guns on the street especially during the election period.

The PNP has yet to release the total number of loose firearms accounted for during the amnesty period.

Even as the PNP had its hands full in neutralizing the Ampatuans and their supporters, another incident broke out in Agusan del Norte that forced the PNP to deploy additional assets.

Manobo tribesmen led by Ondo Perez took hostage more than 70 civilians, including 17 schoolchildren, while being chased by policemen.

The crisis lasted for four days and the hostages were released unharmed after members of the Agusan del Sur Crisis Management Committee negotiated with Perez.

The incident was caused reportedly by a feud between Perez and another tribal family.

Despite the peaceful resolution of the hostage drama, the police filed charges of serious illegal detention and illegal possession of firearms against Perez and his men.

Another incident in 2009 that kept the PNP busy was the murder of Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., the son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr.

The younger Ebarle was killed in what appeared to be road rage committed by suspect Jason Ivler, a nephew of singer Freddie Aguilar and stepson of an executive of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa issued an all points bulletin (APB) for Ivler, who was described as “armed and dangerous.” Police believe Ivler is still in the country, despite a statement by his mother that claimed he was already in Hawaii.

Ivler had a history of violence after he figured in another road rage episode in 2004 that killed Presidential Technical Assistant for Resettlement Undersecretary Nestor Ponce Jr. along the C5-Ortigas flyover.

While the PNP got a low grade for its failure to arrest Ivler, the police played a vital role in securing the release of Irish priest Fr. Michael Sinnott from the hands of Muslim rebels.

Sinnott, 78, was kidnapped last Oct. 11 in Pagadian City but released after a month in captivity.

But not all hostages were as fortunate as Sinnott, as 36-year-old school principal Gabriel Canizares was beheaded by his kidnappers.

The head of Canizares was found inside a bag left at a gasoline station in Jolo last Nov. 10 almost a month after he was taken by the Abu Sayyaf on Oct. 19.

Cheers

The PNP, however, got good marks in neutralizing the notorious Alvin Flores Gang, the criminal group behind a number of high-profile robberies in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The group gained notoriety when it staged the heist of a high-end wristwatch store in Makati City last Oct. 18.

Flores was killed in a shootout with police in Cebu. Authorities later learned Flores had undergone facial surgery to evade arrest.

Dedicated law enforcers, however, painstakingly searched for Flores and eventually tracked him down.

The year 2009 also highlighted the heroism and dedication of policemen in saving people affected by storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

Even as their own homes were also submerged in floodwaters, some 519 policemen reported for duty and braved the elements to save hundreds stranded on rooftops during the storm.

A week after Ondoy, Pepeng struck and the PNP again took center stage in the rescue operations.

Their efforts did not go unnoticed as Verzosa sought the complete list of the police officers who had risked their lives in helping their countrymen during the tragedy for proper acknowledgement.

A rookie policeman, PO1 Danilo Malab Jr., was among those who proudly represented the PNP in the armed services that stood as honor guards during the funeral of former President Corazon Aquino last August.

Malab personified the PNP spirit of dedication to duty when he stood for nine hours without relief, braving sun and rain in guarding the casket of the former president on top of a six-wheeler truck.

The rookie cop joined Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan, and Navy Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez as honor guards during the funeral.

Their efforts earned praise and even adulation from the public and financial assistance from various sectors.

Last June 10, the PNP scored another triumph when it solved the two-year disappearance of Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez, sister of actress Rochelle Barrameda.

Policemen, acting on a tip, retrieved Jimenez’s body stuffed inside a steel drum filled with concrete and dumped in the sea.

Jimenez went missing in March 2007 and was last seen driving her car from their residence in Moonwalk Village in Las Piñas City.

Barrameda blames her sister’s in-laws for the disappearance. The case is now pending in court as the victim’s in-laws maintained their innocence.

On April 15, another incident that tested the PNP’s investigative methods came into focus with the suicide of Trinidad Etong, wife of ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon.

Authorities ruled that some members of the Quezon City police abused their authority when they arrested Etong’s relatives over alleged obstruction of justice.

Verzosa ordered the conduct of a refresher course to remind police investigators of the procedures of investigation.

The lapses on the part of the probers prompted Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno to turn over investigation to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to prevent apprehension that police investigators were biased.

Worldwide attention also focused on the PNP when it helped in the rescue of three aid workers kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on Jan. 15.

Through the efforts of the PNP, three Red Cross workers – Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba – were freed one after the other in April and October.