Calderon gets unsolicited advice from Lacson

Sen. Panfilo Lacson gave some unsolicited advice to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon yesterday: Send more cops to patrol the streets.

"If the government is serious in bringing back order to the streets, it can start by bringing back the basics of police work, particularly by deploying more personnel to the field and strictly observing guidelines on firearms licenses," Lacson said.

Lacson, who served as PNP chief from 1999 to 2001, lamented that the police have slackened in patrol work, allowing up to 60 percent of personnel and logistics to stay in provincial, regional or national headquarters. During his time, he said 85 percent of resources were sent to the field.

The former PNP chief said the policies on firearm control and crime deterrence had already been laid down, but the present government lacks creativeness in implementing them.

"When I was PNP chief, I ordered police personnel to pound the foot patrol beat in tandem with the Marines for policemen adopt a smarter posture in deterring criminals. It worked because crime went down by 70 percent in malls and business establishments," he said.

Lacson advised Calderon to stick to the basics and properly implement the rules on firearms control and man the beat patrols properly, mainly by making policemen proud of their badges.

"I know General Calderon to be very qualified for the job. Perhaps he needs to motivate his men to take pride in their work," he said.

During his stint as PNP chief, Lacson also adopted creative ways to instill discipline in the ranks by imposing a 34-inch-waistline limit and cracking down on so-called "kotong" cops and police officers playing golf during office hours.

"More importantly, the police complied with my orders because they knew I practiced what I preached. That is leadership by example, and there is no substitute for it," he said.

He added that while he managed to get his men to return stolen vehicles to their owners, there are now widespread reports of policemen again using recovered vehicles.

Lacson said the PNP issued not more than 600 permits to carry firearms (PTCs) during his time because they followed the guidelines.

"The rules never changed, they are just not being implemented properly now. These days, you can get licenses and PTCs for firearms under the mango and guava trees at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. In exchange for paying double or triple the regular fee, you can have fixers procure a license or PTC for you," he said.