Cops learn their lesson

In a bid to avoid a possible repeat of events resulting from President Arroyo’s surprise visit to a police station in Quezon City last week, Caloocan City police authorities yesterday ordered their station commanders and chiefs of operating units to rid their offices, among others, of pornographic VCDs that might later prove their undoing.

Superintendent Victor Carlos Ronquillo, city police deputy chief, in an executive order, yesterday directed all five sub-station and 16 police community precinct (PCPs) commanders and chief of operating units, including the intelligence, investigation and drug enforcement, of the entire Caloocan police force to keep seized items, including X-rated, pirated or not, video compact discs (VCDs), from crime suspects "out of the public eye."

"They are not supposed to be found there. Even viewing them for personal reasons is not allowed. It constitutes an act unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman," Ronquillo pointed out. Investigation Branch officer Inspector Romeo Onte, who prepared the order, said everybody should comply with the order because it’s a shameful thing to do.

"This does not mean, however, that we are guilty of the misdemeanor. Not in this station, anyway," Ronquillo said when twitted that many officers could have been doing the same thing even before the Cubao incident.

"Being able to control oneself from doing it is a mark of discipline, something that many in the force have alas forgotten or chosen to ignore," Onte remarked.

Ronquillo said seized items, including pirated VCDs, are evidence and should be properly marked and turned over to authorized personnel, the evidence custodian. The items are then to be kept in the evidence room.

"Even the custodian himself is not authorized to bring out these items or any evidence turned over to his care, for that matter. This may be done only for tabbing or marking purposes afterwhich they are properly inventoried and brought back to the evidence room.– Jerry Botial