‘Duterte’s legal backing needed by cops hunting criminals’
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Friday said an assurance of legal protection from newly sworn-in President Rodrigo Duterte was “much-needed” to motivate policemen to do their jobs well, which may include killing criminals in the line of duty.
Lacson, who himself served as chief of the Philippine National Police, lamented that uniformed personnel tend to hesitate in confronting armed criminals due to fear of being charged for harassment, which in turn “had become deadly for many of them.”
“There couldn’t be any more reassuring commitment than one coming from the commander-in-chief himself. That’s exactly what is needed to motivate our policemen to perform their duties without hesitation,” Lacson said in a statement.
“Many retired policemen, I’m sure, wish they had served under a commander-in-chief like President Duterte,” he added.
READ: It’s all about balancing Duterte’s orders with rule of law, says ‘Bato’
The tough-talking Duterte, who took his oath as the country’s 16th President on Thursday, won in a landslide with a campaign promise deeply rooted on a relentless war against crime, drugs, and corruption.
In his inaugural address, the longtime firebrand mayor of Davao City, who threatened to dump criminals at Manila Bay in the campaign trail, vowed to follow due process and adhere to the rule of law.
Lacson said an assurance of legal support from Duterte and the PNP “will mean much” to law enforcers, but noted that authorities must ensure that this protection “will not be twisted to allow abuses.”
“I should know and I can speak from personal experience. I had faced too many trumped-up, harassment charges myself during my law enforcement days,” he said.
“Without ample legal assistance from the government, they suffer a massive drain in their personal resources for their legal fees,” Lacson added. CDG/rga
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