How to deal with abusive cops

The dismissal of two Manila policemen who robbed two Koreans of P20,000 is praiseworthy.

This is probably the first time that erring cops who underwent an investigation were meted out a penalty of summary dismissal.

The robbery took place at Malate district’s tourist belt on Black Saturday (April 7).

It took less than one week for the authorities to decide on the fate of the two cops, PO2 Reynaldo Faller Olivo and PO1 Vincent Ubaldo Medina, both from Station 5’s mobile patrol.

Normally, summary dismissal proceedings take months and even years.

Summary means short. So how can you call a hearing that takes months and years to finish summary or short?

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As I said in the April 10 “On Target” column, civil service rules favor abusive and corrupt policemen facing criminal and administrative charges.

A cop can’t be dismissed outright even if he openly committed a grave offense because he has to go through the rigmarole of “due process” where his side is heard.

Due process takes time and favors respondent cops who, through their lawyers, ask for hearing postponements many times.

Such postponements and delays in the trial make complainants lose interest in pursuing their complaints against the respondents.

Because the complainants no longer attend hearings, criminal or administrative cases against the respondent policemen are dismissed.

And so, abusive or corrupt policemen go on with their nefarious activities.

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For a policeman to think twice before committing grave abuse of authority, the Sword of Damocles should constantly be hanging over his head.

The Sword of Damocles is the fast—as in really fast or quick—resolution of criminal and administrative cases filed against respondent cops.

If there are no delays or a postponement of hearings, the resolution of a case takes days, at the most, two weeks.

If the resolution of the summary dismissal proceedings against the two Manila cops took less than a week, why shouldn’t it be the case for administrative or criminal cases against other policemen?

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It’s a good thing the Philippine National Police (PNP) has come out with guidelines for  motorists on what not to do when stopped by policemen at checkpoints.

Among the “don’ts”: Never get down from your car; never submit to a body search; and never open your trunk or glove compartments.

When checkpoint cops order you to get out of your car and subject you to a body search, they’re committing human rights violations.

They can be dismissed from the service for such violations of human and constitutional rights.

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I remember Tiya Conching, my mother’s younger sister, who was subjected to indignity by a cop at a checkpoint on a highway in Davao Oriental province about eight years ago.

Tiya Conching was on a bus to Davao City from Manay, Davao Oriental, when it was flagged down by cops at a checkpoint.

My aunt, who owns a pharmacy in my hometown, had with her expired medicines which would be replaced with new ones, and these were found by one of the cops while he rummaged through her baggage.

The policeman would not listen to her explanation that the expired medicines were to be replaced with new ones.

Instead, the cop accused her of supplying medicines to the New People’s Army; worse, she was even accused of being a drug pusher.

Not content with humiliating her in front of her fellow passengers, the cop ordered her to get down from the bus.

The cop made my aunt’s bus leave without her.

She was made to stand under the heat of the sun for half an hour.

When she asked the cop why he was doing this to an old woman, the policeman shot back with a curt “I don’t care!”

She was only allowed to go after the other cops took pity on her.