The Philippine National Police should continue to “weed out misfits” in its ranks to change the public’s negative perception of the police force, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Thursday.
Speaking during the 119th Police Service Anniversary at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Año cited how the PNP has been often criticized on social media because of erring policemen.
“Most people would look at the small mistakes and forget to praise and honor the good deeds. Information spreads fast on social media, especially when it is about passing judgment to a person,” he said.
“Thus we need to work even harder to alter this perception and improve the image on all our personnel,” he added, urging the police to be symbols of competence, honor and goodness.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government chief said the PNP should continue its internal cleansing to get rid of erring policemen.
“Let us weed out misfits who continue to tarnish the reputation of our beloved institution,” he said.
Gaining momentum?
“Our efforts are already gaining momentum and we will not stop until every scalawag is removed from our ranks. Hence, we must be unyielding in our internal cleansing drive, and by employing measures that beef up our character and caliber, we will be able to build a reputable and formidable police force trusted and well-respected by the Filipino people,” he added.
In his message during the event, PNP chief Police Gen. Archie Gamboa said they had implemented the Revitalized Internal Cleansing Program to restore the reputation of the police force.
“We set sail in restoring the image of the PNP into one that would portray the police officer as a trustworthy and respectable public servant in the eyes of the people,” Gamboa said.
The PNP has received criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic for alleged abuses in implementing quarantine protocols, which included the killing of a retired Army soldier by the police at a checkpoint in Quezon City for allegedly violating lockdown rules.
Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas was also criticized after he and 18 other policemen were photographed without masks, standing close together to celebrate the Metro Manila police chief’s birthday.
Sinas also came under fire for allegedly harassing a family of a retired police official in Taguig City while serving an eviction notice.