EDITORIAL — Modest lives

Members of Congress with a predilection for Hermes bags and Patek Philippe wristwatches will probably wonder what the fuss is all about. So will police officers with Nike Air Force sneakers, with prices ranging from over P130,000 to over P2.5 million a pair for certain models in the Tiffany & Co. line.

There are, of course, millions of Filipinos who will consider a pair of sneakers costing about P71,500 obscenely expensive.

Wearing such a pair of Balenciaga runner sneakers while in uniform has landed a female general of the Philippine National Police in hot water. Brig. Gen. Jezebel Imelda Medina, touted as the first female Igorot PNP general, faces two separate administrative cases for conduct unbecoming of a police officer as well as neglect of duty.

The National Police Commission, which filed the cases, cited Medina’s shoes in the conduct-related complaint. In the case for neglect of duty, the Napolcom cited Medina’s stint as director of the PNP Health Service, during which she allegedly failed to comply with directives to submit a psychiatric and psychological evaluation report on a member of the Quezon City Police District. The QCPD patrolman was reportedly under investigation for vlogs that were deemed seditious or critical of the government.

Public office is a public trust, and the country has a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Republic Act 6713. Part of the declaration of policies under RA 6713 is that public officials and employees shall at all times, among other things, “lead modest lives.”

Going by the charges, the Napolcom sees cops using Balenciaga Runner sneakers, with prices ranging from P43,000 to about P71,500, as immodest.

The Napolcom may want to show that it will equally apply its standards on “modest lives” on other PNP officers, particularly men, for using pricey personal items. Perhaps top PNP officials can be subjected to a lifestyle check, to show that no one is living beyond his/her means.

Especially since some quarters are wondering how the Napolcom determined that Medina’s sneakers are the genuine article and not inexpensive knockoffs. And because of the circumstances, there are also questions on whether Medina’s black sneakers would have drawn probers’ attention if she had not allegedly defied the orders on the potentially seditious vlogs.

Amid such comments, the Napolcom said yesterday that the case was not all about shoes.

Whether or not this is so, since the Napolcom has made noises about modest lives, it should turn this into a sustained campaign across the PNP and within the Napolcom itself. If it could be expanded throughout government, the country might have fewer corruption scandals.