Sanctions urged against erring policemen

A ranking official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday called for strict disciplinary measures against erring policemen to prevent repetition of their abuses.

The PNP has been put in a bad light by the recent ‘misencounter’ in Quezon City which claimed the lives of a hotel chief steward and his daughter’s friend and the wounding of his daughter. The police image was further tarnished by the subsequent shooting spree of a drunken policeman in Pasig City who killed a driver and seriously wounded a foreman.

"We must put more teeth in our disciplinary capability to prevent repeat offenders," said Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez, head of the PNP directorate for personnel and records management (DPRM).

Fernandez refused to delve further on the "mistake encounter" in Quezon City which resulted in the killing of Fernando Lozada, 48 and his daughter’s friend Marian Uson, 18, as the case is now being investigated by a Senate committee.

But Fernandez made special mention of SPO1 Robert Ortiz, of the Pasig City police, who gunned down the victims whom he had ordered to line up bent over on bended knees last Thursday before dawn.

Fernandez pointed out that Ortiz was previously involved in the mauling of pedicab drivers, John Rapsina, 29 and Ricardo Aponar, 28, last March 11. Ortiz escaped penalty after the two did not press criminal charges.

The DPRM chief emphasized that had Ortiz’ superior officers meted him the stipulated severe administrative penalty under PNP policy, the shooting incident which resulted in the killing of driver Rodel Bacolod, 21, could have been avoided. Bacolod’s foreman, Fernando Giludo, 32, is presently fighting for his life in a hospital. – Non Alquitran