Ping to Espina: Regain PNP’s old glory

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Panfilo Lacson, who was also a former Philippine National Police chief, advised yesterday PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina to take his fresh mandate as an opportunity to lead the law enforcement agency and regain its old glory.

Espina was designated OIC after the Office of the Ombudsman slapped PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima with a six-month suspension on charges of corruption.

Purisima accepted the ombudsman’s order but maintained that he is innocent of the charges against him.

Lacson said the people’s trust and confidence in policemen have eroded after some police officers were implicated in illegal activities, such as using recovered carjacked vehicles, extorted money from motorists, commuters and sidewalk vendors and received payola from illegal gambling operators.

“During the old days, policemen were respected but the respect eroded over time. There must be an intervention. This is a good opportunity for the OIC, who has a fresh mandate, to show leadership by example,” said Lacson, who was the guest of honor and speaker during the PNP Ethics Day and flag raising ceremony yesterday in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Lacson who served as PNP chief from 1999 to 2001, said Espina has the credibility to make the police closer to the people. Espina will retire in July, almost the same time Purisima’s suspension ends.

Lacson said the people should have confidence in police assistance or else criminals will be emboldened to operate, knowing that the police will not act unless the victim files a formal complaint.

During his term as PNP chief, Lacson said his biggest challenge was to bring back the old glory of the police, especially during the time of the barrio policeman.

The former senator recalled how a policeman was highly regarded in his hometown of Imus, Cavite.

“It remained vivid in my memory that the lone policeman assigned to keep the peace and order in our almost obscure barangay, actually called Barrio Bayang Luma, at that time was held in high regards by the barrio inhabitants.”

Lacson said the typical patrolman then wore khaki uniforms, armed with a revolver, a black baton and a shiny whistle.

“What struck me was how he remained highly respected by all the barrio folks even after he retired from our town’s tiny police force,” Lacson said.

“For one, I recalled Mr. Barrio Patrolman as one who was fit and trim; his waistline was not more than 32 inches; he wore his complete uniform every single day he was on duty, his shirt all buttoned up, he never forgot his head gear when patrolling outdoor. He attended to his duties responsibly,” Lacson pointed out.

He said the barrio policeman never engaged in his favorite sports during office hours; never misappropriated confiscated evidence including recovered carjacked motor vehicles for his personal use but returned them to their rightful owners after proper legal procedures.

“Most importantly, he did not extort money from motorists, commuters and vendors, instead he assisted them in any way he could, and he was not in the payola of big-time or small-time gambling operators,” said Lacson.

He was apparently referring to a series of reports of policemen misbehaving and getting involved in illegal activities in exchange for financial gain.

Aside from the fresh start, Lacson said the PNP is on the right track with Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II personally supervising the anti-crime effort of the PNP.

During his term as a senator, he recalled throwing a question at Roxas during his confirmation hearings at the Commission on Appointments to define “insanity.”

“After a hearty laugh from the gallery followed by my curt admonition that it was a serious and relevant question, the scholar that he is, Secretary Mar responded exactly how I wanted my question answered – by quoting the great German physicist Albert Einstein. He said, and I agreed completely, ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’,” he added.

Lacson said the practical reality is that by nature, people continue to be repetitive in their behavior and their attitudes towards work, duty and life in general, even if they despise repeating them.

“It is because they don’t know how to change. The bad part is that these behavior, when left unchecked, continue into the future and worse, can very well influence those that follow after them…This is precisely the function of leadership – it must provide the intervention to discipline, motivate and inspire those who they lead,” he added. “By all means, the glory days of the police must be restored. The Filipino people deserve nothing less.”

Lacson also clarified that his resignation from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) has nothing to do with the elections in 2016.