The police organization is hurting. Or so this was the prognosis shared by police regional director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan in updating the Davao media on the process being undertaken by PNP nationwide to cleanse its ranks.
Like other well-meaning police officers, Gaerlan was pissed that a few rogue cops like SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel (who was one of the brains of the killing of South Korean business Jee Ick Joo) were able to put the PNP organization into bad light.
“It hurts most because it comes at a time when we have an ongoing transformation program to reform the organization,” he said.
But with the order for the PNP to cleanse its ranks, he said there would be no mercy in booting out undesirables.
“They will not stay any minute longer,” he said, adding that in the region alone, at least four personnel are certain to be dismissed.
It also struck me that Gaerlan is right on one point. It would really take some time, probably a generation, to reform a system that has been tainted by a culture of corruption.
Yet having said that, he said the PNP is fast-tracking its efforts to be able to transform itself into a highly-effective and credible organization.
It seemed other regions have also gotten into the act because days after Gaerlan spoke, Metro Manila police commander Director Oscar Albayalde unveiled the names of 387 policemen slated for ‘reform training” in Camp Crame itself.
In addition, Albayalde said his office has (from July 1, 2016 to January 30 2017) penalized and dismissed 46 policemen, suspended 63, and demoted four; seventy-nine others were sent to Mindanao for reassignment.
“The reassignment in Mindanao is to remove these police officers from their sphere of influence.” Albayalde said.
In the same week, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa was quoted as saying he wanted his people to re-establish their relationship with God and be fearful of the Supreme Being so they can steer clear of crimes.
“Ang gusto ko talagang mangyari, spiritual development ng ating kapulisan, yung relationship nila with God, yung relationship namin with the Supreme Spiritual Being,” he told reporters in Pampanga.
“‘Yun ang gusto kong ibalik dahil pag may takot ka sa Diyos, may takot ka sa Panginoon, matatakot kang gumawa ng kasamaan, ng kalokohan. ‘Yan ang gusto kong i-reestablish sa amin, yung spiritual connection with the God,” he added.
The presence of rotten eggs in the basket has been a puzzle. One South Korean official in fact wondered how come that for a people who go to church every Sunday, we have law officers still engaged in heinous crimes.
In Dela Rosa’s estimate, about only 2% of the country’s 165,000 police officers and men needed to be weed out as undesirables “because it is their acts that are highlighted time and again.” This means that over-all the PNP is okay, given more time.
With this as background, my wife and I gave our blessings to a son who took his oath as police recruit in Camp Crame last week. My preference was for him to take up law but probably that would come later.
This son was “assembled” in Davao City, was born in Mati, Davao Oriental, grew up in La Trinidad, Benguet and studied in Baguio City and Cabanatuan City. I hope he will not marry somebody in Timbuktu or in Haiti.
On my wife’s prodding, I texted him several messages I collected from a pair of beauty queens. This paraphrased message from Pia Wurtzback reads: “If you persevere as if your life depends on it, it can be done.”
From PNP region XI spokesperson PCI Andrea dela Cerna, a queen in her own right: “What the spirit has conceived, the body should be able to accomplish.”
Above all, “walang pride, stay humble,” she added. Thank you, replied my son to the flurry of messages.
Inwardly, I was pleased. What I only dreamt of, he was able to accomplish. Back then, I entertained the idea of becoming a policeman. My grandfather who served as USAFEE veteran was a former cop. So was my dad for a while before he shifted to farming.
In those days also and up to now, a policeman held the respect of the community.
But although I stood a couple of inches above 5 feet, my height failed me. One cousin said I should have gone to nursing, citing the case of two of our cousins, both standing a few inches above four feet, who made it as successful nurses in the US of A. Was I to blame my mother who stood roughly 4’5”?
With the ongoing cleansing and transformation of the PNP, I hope someday my boy will be among those to benefit for good so they could bring honor to both uniform and country. (30)
