PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa leads the command conference at Camp Crame. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net
Show some balls and talk to me.
A visibly irked Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa scolded senior police officials when he learned that some ranking PNP members were complaining to the media about their issues on the government’s drug war.
Top police officials and regional directors got a dressing down from their chief during a command conference at the headquarters in Camp Crame on Tuesday. This was Dela Rosa’s third time to call for a command conference since he assumed office in July.
“Kung may bayag sila, ako kausapin nila. Kung kayo ay dissatisfied sa nangyayari, be open to the Chief. Kung ayaw niyo akong kausapin, regional director niyo ang kausapin niyo, huwag ‘yung sa media kayo magsasabi ng ganon,” Dela Rosa told the officials.
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The police chief, equally tough-talking as President Rodrigo Duterte, hit disgruntled PNP officials for “undermining the effort” of the President to rid the country of drugs and criminality.
He warned the officials that they could be punished for insubordination and conduct unbecoming of an officer.
“Hindi lang ‘yan conduct unbecoming, insubordination talaga ‘yang ginagawa niyong ganon na i-undermine nila ang effort ng Presidente. Sabihan niyo ‘yan sa mga tao niyo,” he said.
What triggered Dela Rosa’s anger was a question from a reporter about a Reuters report quoting a senior police official as criticizing the “arbitrary” figures on drugs President Duterte is presenting to the public, saying this puts pressure on the police.
“The problem is, every time the President says something, it’s already some sort of a policy statement. We have to toe the line,” the officer said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The officer cited Duterte’s expectation from the police to make 1.8 million drug users and pushers surrender to the police to match the 1.8 million users the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) cited in its report. CDG/rga