448 cops facing job-related charges get PNP legal aid

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is providing free legal assistance to 448 policemen who are facing service-related criminal and administrative cases supposedly filed against them by moneyed plaintiffs whose illegal activities had been disrupted by police operations.

Of the number, PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said 78 are facing criminal cases before the Office of the Ombudsman, while the rest have been charged administratively before the different PNP disciplinary bodies.

Razon said the legal assistance is part of Project Legis, which also aims to provide PNP units and personnel with legal education and training, direct legal aid, and court representation.

“Project Legis also aims to enhance the legal working knowledge of every PNP member in the performance of their official functions, in order for them to avoid criminal, civil or administrative liabilities that may arise in the performance of their duties,” he said.

A one-day Legal Aid Clinic was held yesterday at Camp Crame, attended mostly by members of the National Capital Region Police Office who are facing criminal cases that the PNP has found to be service-related.

Eighteen private lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the academe and prestigious law firms, and 15 PNP legal counsels were present during the Legal Aid Clinic, which was initiated by the PNP Legal Service and PNP Legal Assistance Board.

“Although there are a number of issues and concerns affecting the opportunity of PNP members to avail themselves of free legal services from government agencies, the PNP is also getting private sector support to help policemen who are in trouble for job-related charges,” Razon said.

“Based on our experience,” Razon said, “some criminal syndicates and suspects have actually misused the legal system to get back at their arresting officers or to gain leverage in criminal cases that are filed against them by harassing the very same police officers who will testify against them in court.”

Deputy Director General Jesus Verzosa, deputy chief for administration and concurrent executive director of the PNP Program Management Office, said the PNP has at present 102 legal officers detailed with the different regional and provincial police offices and national support units.

“While we condemn and punish undesirable members of the force, we, too, vow to rush to the aid of honest police officers who are burdened by cases arising from the lawful performance of their duties,” Verzosa said.

Verzosa cited some issues and concerns, which he said complicate the problem of policemen facing criminal charges in court, including an existing Commission on Audit policy that disallows the use of government funds to pay for the professional fees of private lawyers.

The PNP has existing memoranda of agreement for free legal assistance with the IBP and the Free Legal Assistance for Good Cops, an organization of private lawyers.

Police personnel who want to avail themselves of the IBP’s free legal services are subjected to the group’s “merit and means” test to determine if the charges against them are indeed service-related.