A lawmaker yesterday said the Philippine National Police (PNP), particularly the National Police Commission (Napolcom), should come out with an inventory of all cases involving policemen, especially those pending for years.
“Recent incidents of policemen involved in crimes and other acts prejudicial to the service reveal that those involved have derogatory records and pending cases,” House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said.
The lawmaker took special notice of the most recent involvement of two Quezon City policemen identified as SPO4 Jose de la Peña and PO2 Resty del Rosario in an apparent attempt to extort money from the son of newly designated National Capital Region Police Office chief Supt. Leonardo Espina.
“This is clear incident of what we call Divine Providence — a blessing in disguise. Had it been another ordinary person victimized, the case would not have earned the focus of media,” Nograles said as he expressed disappointment as to why De la Peña had managed to keep his badge despite more than half a dozen of administrative complaints since 2006.
“Bakit nasa serbisiyo pa ang mga ito. How many like him are still in service and continue to degrade the PNP in the eyes of the public. If you ask ordinary citizens, they would readily express their distrust on those in uniform,” he said.
This incident, Nograles said, should prompt a full and complete inventory of all cases involving policemen as he took to task the Napolcom for failing to expeditiously act on administrative cases filed against policemen.
Nograles also suggested that the PNP can even go to the extent of bringing to the public the list of policemen with pending cases to warn other policemen against abusing their authority and underscore its commitment in the campaign against scalawags and misfits in the police service.
Furthermore, Nograles stressed the need to strengthen a program that would enhance the values-formation and re-training of all members of the PNP and other concerned officers. Charlie V. Manalo