Rody not a killer? Take note, PNP

MANILA, Philippines – Policemen, listen up.

Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto welcomed yesterday President Duterte’s statement that he is not condoning extrajudicial killings and law enforcers should toe the line.

Recto said he believed Duterte was sincere in asserting that he was no killer and was not condoning summary executions, widely believed to be conducted by police officers pursuing deadly shortcuts in the justice system.

“The President’s statement is significant and it’s good that he came out with that. I hope that reverberates down to the PNP (Philippine National Police),” the senator told reporters.

Recto believes that Duterte is now sensitive to criticisms on his war on drugs that so far has claimed the lives of nearly 6,000 individuals, over half of whom were considered extrajudicial killings.

Recto did not sign the report of the Senate committee on justice, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, which cleared the administration of any involvement in extrajudicial killings.

He said he wished the hearings conducted by the committee continued to interview other witnesses.

Recto also suggested that it would be better if Duterte lessens his rhetoric on wanting drug pushers killed.

Some policemen are having second thoughts on conducting anti-drug operations as they raise concern over President Duterte’s appointment of a civilian to head the police Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

Alfegar Triambulo, a lawyer and former director of the National Police Commission in Davao, was named IAS chief with the rank of inspector general last Dec. 1.

Triambulo said that one of his priorities is “for the public not to entertain doubts that there is bias, whitewashing and partiality in our decisions involving policemen.”

He will also strengthen the intelligence division of the PNP IAS “so that it can efficiently go after scawalags as part of the PNP’s internal cleansing.”

Prior to Triambulo’s appointment, Chief Supt. Leo Angelo Leuterio was overseeing the IAS as acting deputy inspector general.

A Manila Police District (MPD) station commander, who refused to be identified, said police operatives would be overwhelmed by the investigations of alleged abuses in the operations against illegal drugs.

“If the IAS will order summary hearing after every operation then the operatives will be tied to attending hearings and investigation. The thought of having to face criminal and administrative charges will be likened to the proverbial Damocles sword hanging over their heads,” the police official told The STAR.

A chief investigator in the Northern Police District said police operatives should now be careful in conducting operations.

“From now on every police operation against illegal drugs should be without any trace of irregularity. Of course that is not saying that some of the police operations are tainted with irregularity because there is always presumption of regularity. However, the paper work that goes with it should be beyond reproach,” said the police officer.

Under Republic Act 8551, section 39, the IAS has the power to conduct, motu proprio, automatic investigation on incidents where death, serious physical injury or any violation of human rights occurred in the conduct of a police operation, among others.

A Caloocan City policeman said he had been involved in several legitimate sting operations and the sheer number of it, “just in case summary hearings would be conducted, would consume all my time.”

A high-ranking MPD official said there are several steps before a police operation against drug personalities can be conducted and “we always make sure that the reports coming from intelligence sources are validated.”

He, however, refused to answer when asked if he believes that there are questionable operations, like the allegation of a suspect who was initially reported dead during a drug sting in Ermita, Manila but the victim survived and revealed his ordeal when reporters arrived at the crime scene.

There was also the case of a father and son who were killed inside their detention cell in Pasay City after allegedly trying to grab the gun of the policeman on duty.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV warned the public during a Senate hearing that the policemen “should be wary about their recent actions because the present administration will not be here forever.”

“You could be left in the dark and suffer the brunt after this (Duterte administration) is over,” he told the policemen implicated in the alleged murder of the late mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte who was detained at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City.

Agents of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 8 gunned down Espinosa and another inmate during an alleged shootout inside the jail.

Meanwhile, a major revamp looms in the PNP when four top officials retire before yearend.

Director Benjamin Magalong, the PNP deputy chief for operations;

Director Wilfredo Franco, chief of the Directorate for Police-Community Relations; Director Noel Lazarus Vargas of the Directorate for Plans and Director Victor Deona, acting director of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) will be retiring from the service.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa is likely to implement the reorganization soon. – With Rey Galupo, Cecille Suerte Felipe