Cops and robbers: Same-same

During the Martial law era, a well-known racer and car enthusiast went to Camp Crame to file a carnapping report with the Constabulary Highway Patrol Group. Because of his status as well as belief in the system the gentleman was so confident that something could de done about his missing car.

But as he walked up to the office of the CHPG, the would-be complainant came across the very carnapper who had just, hours ago, pointed a 45 cal. pistol in his face and took his car. That incident needless to say was just one of the many stories that created public distrust of police officers.

Some 30 years later, one would hope that things have gotten better with all the investigations and exposes that have happened in Congress as well as in media. Sad to say, it feels like things are going back to the bad old days when cops and robbers are one and the same.

Recently, two families went to file complaints of robbery in the Sta. Ana district and when they were inside the police precinct, they discovered that the very same robbers were cops assigned to the precinct handling their complaint. A few weeks before that a police officer was killed in a gunfight with fellow police officers when he avoided arrest for being the protector of snatchers and petty thieves in his area.

Last month, a former police officer and spokesperson for the service, was arrested and charged for the cold-blooded murder of a lady whom they dumped inside a septic tank. Weeks before that another police officer was arrested as the principal suspect behind the bombings of several buses. Speaking of cops and buses, the first and biggest slap on the face of the Aquino administration was dealt by a renegade police officer that massacred Chinese tourists at Luneta. All this of course is just a small portion of a bigger problem.

The good news in all of this is the fact that the suspects have all been arrested and charged or shot dead. The bad news is that the criminal involvement among police officers has consistently happened to the point that we can no longer dismiss them as isolated cases. It is a cause for concern when police officers of one particular district or city such as the Manila Police regularly figure in misconduct or criminal activity. Something is seriously wrong and it is not enough to just arrest and charge the guilty. We have to find out why our cops are turning into robbers and murderers.

Is it a question of leadership or tolerance? Has the Philippine National Police lost control or supervision at the district level or has politics created “territories” and policies that turn cops into crooks?

No one really speaks about it, because people silently tolerate it. But for a number of years, police units have followed a policy of “Kill or be killed” and a “not in our territory” rule, where thugs who are armed and dangerous end up getting killed in a “shootout.” From what I know, these undeclared and unofficial policies are usually politically dictated.

Unfortunately, that which was meant for public good, ultimately always ends up bad for the enforcers and for the people. If you can kill a criminal like you would a stray dog, sooner or later, you lose sense of right and wrong.

I once spent time with Magdalo rebels who graduated from the PMA about why they went astray from their sworn duty to protect. In reply, all of them told me that in the academy their lives were governed by rules and accountability. Each cadet knew what was expected of him and they knew what to expect if they failed to comply. There was always a consequence if you broke the rules or failed in your mission.

Once out of the academy, the rules disappeared. Officers made up their own rules in the field, you were only responsible to the person above you and maybe your batch mate if you happen to be in the same unit, otherwise it was each to his own.

I know for a fact that General Nic Bartolome has a never-ending list of officers being punished or purged from the ranks, and like I said, the PNP is doing its best to arrest and charge the cops turned robbers. But in the light of ever increasing cases, perhaps it is time for the PNP to go back to basics.

As simple as they may be, the day to day reminders of what a cop is all about, the regular refresher course on moral values such as integrity and accountability, the ever important immersion in spiritual and godly doctrine, all these are things that should constantly be part of a police officer’s daily life and not just because there is an executive order to conduct seminars on moral values and good conduct.

Whether you are a police officer or a God-fearing person, we all know that constant exposure to evil, to criminality and the economic imbalance of society will ultimately infect you. Just sitting in a room with people who cuss with four letter words will eventually infect your vocabulary, how much more the constant exposure to bar girls, prostitutes and criminals.

Our police officers also need to experience how people appreciate them and their presence. They need interaction and fellowship with the community. But this will only happen if the PNP leadership both at the national and the district levels decide to think out of the box, admit they have a problem and ask for EVERYBODY’s help.

The PNP is our police — we should all have a part in supporting it.   

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