"This seminar was organized to primarily help the police in the performance of their duties," Franco told The STAR.
He said that educating policemen on the proper conduct in the performance of their assigned tasks will help eliminate "costly errors" in the prosecution of suspected criminals.
"This is also being done to educate and professionalize our police force," Franco said.
The seminar, which started yesterday at Caloocan City Hall’s Bulwagang Katipunan, was organized by the Institute of Government and Law Reform-UP Law Center, headed by director Carmelo Sison and lawyer Giselle Dizon-Reyes, law reform specialist and seminar overall program coordinator.
"We would like to refresh and enhance the knowledge of our police officers on basic laws," Reyes said. "This is our way of helping the police organization professionalize their ranks."
Sison gave some 100 police officers, under the command of Franco, NPD Legal Office chief lawyer Edgar Paulino and Operations chief Superintendent Honorato Daniel Donato, a lecture on the Constitution, with emphasis on the Bill of Rights.
"The police officers can better perform their duties once they are properly equipped with legal knowledge," Sison said.
Among the topics tackled at the seminar are proper handling of evidence, criminal procedure, custodial investigation, criminal law, arrests, searches and seizures.
Paulino said that the number of police officers attending the seminar only shows that more cops are truly interested in increasing their legal knowledge.
"Our policemen want to learn, but many of them lack the opportunity. But now they have it," Paulino said.
Sison acknowledged Metro Manila police chief Director Ricardo de Leon for his full support of the program.