The fruits of impunity

The month of August has been “A Bad Month for Bad Cops.”

From the shooting of an unarmed 15-year-old, the road rage/gun-toting case involving an ex-cop that led to the resignation of a brigadier general, a cop wrestling, straddling and arresting a fake soldier at gun point, an officer failing a drug test and a bunch of cops failing a random drug test. It’s all there in the Metro Section of The Philippine STAR.

The good thing is that there was never any denial of fault or the traditional “arbor” or blatant cover up of actual wrongdoing. No one claimed “isolated case.” The investigations quickly followed the incidents, the perpetuators were confined to quarters and officials were swift in condemning the misconduct committed by Bad Cops and moved for immediate investigations and removal from the service.

This is a message that the PNP leadership needs to keep saying and repeating to the media and the public. Instead of the post-incident press statement, the PNP mantra should repeatedly declare there is no room for Bad Cops in the PNP. They should highlight the efforts and hard work of their internal affairs group and should not be embarrassed with reporting their stats on booting out Bad Cops.

I praise police director BGen. Nicolas Torre for resigning his post for his mistake of conducting a press conference with road-rage suspect Wilfredo Gonzales. People and officers make mistakes and Torre showed true professionalism by resigning, unlike many officials in government who won’t and hide behind a greater power or their elected position.

Before the dust settles on this season of impunity, it might be a good time for the PNP leadership to seriously investigate and study what has been happening. Is this all just coincidental or, as the column title suggests, “fruits” of impunity from seeds sown during the anti-drug war of the last administration? Whatever it may be, the PNP leadership needs to be certain that we do not have a continuing series of “Bad Months with Bad Cops.”

Aside from the vigilance of netizens and swift justice on social media, the PNP needs to highlight their own efforts towards internal cleansing. There is also an apparent need to re-educate or re-train all PNP officers regarding the wrong mindset of giving special treatment or leniency towards current or former colleagues. It is a sin and a mentality from the past that today’s police officers must get rid of.

Anyone who violates the law or commits a crime cannot and should not be treated as a “kabaro” or one of their own. During a training/seminar I conducted for the PNP Community Affairs group, one participant expressed dismay and shame that one of their own was arrested that week for committing a crime. I walked straight up to him and told him: “The minute that individual committed a crime, he was no longer a police officer but a criminal. Make sure you know the difference!”

The mindset should be right out of the Bible or Spider Man, which ever you chose: “To whom much is given – much is required” or “with great power comes great responsibility.” Every police precinct, camp, vehicle, wall should feature those words as a reminder to all but especially to cops, that they must be accountable first above all. It is a mantra that should be declared every day during formation or briefings.

Whether it is at a traffic stop, altercation, the precinct or for clearances, firearm registration and permits, being a cop or a retired cop should never be grounds for exemption or leniency. Speaking of which, the PNP leadership should conduct an audit, inventory or random check of licenses or permits to carry weapon outside of residence issued to former police/soldiers or uniformed personnel.

Every year there are reports of a cop, soldier or the like involved in gun-toting or illegal discharge of a weapon. The question is how thorough was the background check on the individuals applying for licenses and permits to carry? Has the PNP firearms directorate ever conducted investigations of individuals charged with illegal use of a firearm like the LTO does?

What administrative case or punishment does the PNP impose on cops who violate rules regarding carrying weapons off duty, gun bans, etc.? Do cops punish or charge cops or do they simply warn them or report them for reprimand or sermon only? This is an important concern because netizens observed how cops, and non-cops become emboldened when they have a side arm or a weapon in hand.

As for the fruits of impunity, the PNP might find it necessary to reintegrate our police officers to their community. Anywhere I go, there is a palpable or felt “distance” between cops and people. Whether it is defensive posturing or simply being ill at ease towards persons of authority or with a gun, or cops being formal or polite, the “distance” or lack of connection with people should seriously be recognized and addressed by the PNP.

Every police officer out there is somebody’s brother or sister, father, mother, uncle, tita or cousin, wife or husband. Since childhood, my family has had close ties with police officers as our titos and ninongs, beginning with the Manila police all the way to the police station at Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija. Some of the nicest most helpful friends I have are police officers and their spouses.

The PNP needs to shed its military inclinations brought about by its history and influence from the Philippine Military Academy and direct the organization towards a professional civilian organization. Let’s start by knowing the cops in your neighborhood!

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]