Resolving the polices identity crisis[1] By: Atty. Berni M.

Luceres The identity crisis in the Philippine National Police (PNP) is loud and clear. R ecently in the news, several policemen in the rank of police officer one (PO1) t o police superintendent are involved in all kinds of heinous crimes. From drug p ushing, kidnapping, carnapping, hijacking, robbery, extortion and others. The co mmon public is shocked and wondered why, where, when and how these policemen got their guts to break their oath in the PNP. They do not have any fear to be dism issed from the service and incarcerated for the rest of their lives. Criminals i n blue gray uniform are giving others the courage to do the same. They would phi losophically argue, if a policeman (who has a job) did crimes to earn more money , why not the common tao who has no job? Take the case of late Alvin Abeng Francisco. He was single, 28 years old, computer encoder, and a friend of this writer. On October 2, at around 3:00 a.m. , he was shot in the back by a certain Police Officer (PO1) on Perla st., Tondo, Manila without any provocation. He is assigned at MPD Station 4 PCP Espana Blum entritt. After he shot and hit Abeng, he and a jobless companion took the victims scooter, cellphone and money. The said police officer was officially on sick le ave when he treacherously shot Abeng. The police officer was arrested. But the writer personally saw that poli ce officer walking in the City Hall of Manila without handcuffs after the prelim inary investigation. Yet he was charged for murder, robbery and carnapping. This policeman maybe one of the abusive minority in the PNP, but because his colleag ues (kabaro) are giving him special treatment, some have remarked that the PNP a s an institution should be destroyed. If a suspect for vagrancy and violation of an ordinance is handcuffed, why not a suspect for heinous crime? The said police officer has been alleged to be involved in hulidap activit ies. Now would the PNP accept the quotation of Brendan Behan, to wit: I have nev er seen a situation so dismal that a policeman couldnt make it worse. American wri ter Michael Harrington must have been talking of the PNP when he said: For the mi ddle class, the police protects property, gives directions and helps old ladies. For the urban poor, the police are those who arrest you. The 1986 Constitution provides that: The State shall establish and mainta in one police force, which shall be national in scope and civilian in character to be administered and controlled by a national police commission. The authority of local executives over the police units in their jurisdiction shall be provid ed by law. Through this constitutional provision, Republic Act No. 6975 was enacted and the PNP was born. After seven years, the former law was amended by Republic Act No. 8551 which announced that: It is hereby declared the policy of the State to establish a highly efficient and competent police force which is national in scope and civilian in character administered and controlled by national police commission. Further, The Philippine National Police (PNP) shall be a community an d service oriented agency responsible for the maintenance of peace and order and public safety and The PNP shall be so organized to ensure accountability and upri ghtness in police exercise of discretion as well as to achieve efficiency and ef fectiveness of its members and units in the performance of their functions. On October 28, the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) conducted a n entrance or qualifying examination for those who want to join the academy. It was a record breaking examination because hundreds of thousands took the exam, w anting to join the PNP. Once you join the PNP, one foot is already in the gravey ard. Yet why do young people prefer to join it? Is it because of the guaranteed free education and allowance? Since many young people want to be policemen, the PNP Chief should be st rict in the selection of police officers and stricter in cleaning and disciplini ng the organization. Fear must also be inculcated into the nerve of the policeme n and not only to make them run after criminals. According to Voltaire, Fear succ eeds crime it is punishment. According to Henry Miller, The study of crime begins with the knowledge of ones self. Policemen should know themselves and be role mode ls in obeying the law. Allowing and mixing goons in the police is an obsolete an

d ineffective way to check criminality. We wish the best for the PNP and those who passed its recent qualifying exam for admission to the PNPA. May you recover the lost respect or the lost glo ry of the police force. Without a reliable police force, the progress and develo pment of the country will always be elusive. May God bless the PNP whose primary aim is to help our citizens achieve peace, order and public safety. 1 Points of Law Atty. Bernardo Berni M. Luceres Manila Times Barangay News Vol. 2 No. 10 Date __________