Marcos eyeing creation of PNP legal department to protect officers

FILE phot: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his speech at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, before flying to Brunei Darussalam for an official visit. On Wednesday, he revealed a plan to create a legal office to protect cops. INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a study to create a legal department at the Philippine National Police (PNP) to protect deserving police officers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Palace said that Marcos felt the need for a defense council for police officers charged with complaints.

READ: Command conference with Marcos not for loyalty check, says PNP

“We’ll create an office, the legal office within the PNP who will be the defense council of any policeman who is charged with whatever complaint, crime. Mayroon at mayroon silang tatakbuhan kagad na abogado just to give them advice and it will be internal, so hindi na sila magbayad,” Marcos said in a PNP Command Conference on Tuesday.

(We’ll create an office, the legal office within the PNP, that will be the defense council of any policeman who is charged with whatever complaint or crime. They have somewhere to go to, a lawyer to advise them, and it will be internal, so they do not have to pay.)

Marcos said to study the proposal well because there are times when cases are weaponized against the police.

“We have to provide that kind of protection for our police to embolden them to do their work because they are harassed for doing their work,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.