PNP chief: ‘Palit-puri’ incident isolated case

FIRST CASE? PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde says the case of PO1 Eduardo Valencia, shown at right being scolded by National Capital Region Police Office Chief Guillermo Eleazar, is the first time
he heard of the scheme. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA AND GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The chief of the Philippine National Police denied the claim of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP) that it was “common practice” — especially under the government’s drug war — for lawmen to demand sex from women in exchange for dropping charges against them or their family members.

“There are probably sexual [advances] that have happened, but for them to say it is rampant, that is too harsh. That’s unfair to us,” PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde told reporters on Monday.

The so-called “palit-puri” (sex-for-freedom) scheme hogged the headlines after a 15-year-old girl accused a Manila policeman of forcing her to have sex with him in exchange for the release of her parents, who had been arrested on drug charges.

For Albayalde, the incident was a “very isolated case.” “Please, this single act does not reflect the general behavior and discipline that we have in the PNP. Let us not say, in general, that these [cases] have increased, because records will show that these are all isolated cases,” he said.

When asked for these records, Albayalde admitted he did not have them on hand. However, he promised that he would provide the media with copies.

“For the past three years [since] the start of this administration, this is the only [time] we’ve heard of this ‘palit-puri’ scheme… I think it is only now that it has happened,” he said.

“We will never tolerate these things… and we want to assure the public on that,” Albayalde added.

Executive director Jean Enriquez of CATW-AP, a nongovernment organization (NGO), earlier told the Inquirer that the sex-for-freedom scheme had worsened under the government’s war on drugs.

“Their (women) fear has intensified because now, death is a possibility. It’s worse because [the police] can kill you or your relatives,” she said.