BAM AQUINO. EDWIN BACASAMAS/FILE PHOTO
Senator Bam Aquino on Saturday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work together to remove rogue policemen from the agency.
Aquino said that the PNP should not just relieve bad cops from their posts but dismiss them from service, while the DOJ must actively pursue criminal cases filed against them. He believes that this approach will “help instill fear among scalawags to stop their illegal activities and restore the public’s confidence in the organization.”
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“Iyong paghahain ng criminal case ang kailangang bantayan. May kayang gawin ang PNP pero dapat umaksiyon din ang Justice Department at iba pang kasamang agency para makasuhan sa korte criminally ang isang pulis,” the senator said in a statement.
(They may use the filing of criminal cases as basis. The PNP can do something about it, but the DOJ also needs to act on it, along with other concerned agencies, so these rogue cops may be brought to court.)
”Palagay ko iyon ang hinahanap ng tao, na hindi lang administrative o na-shuffle kundi masampahan sila ng kasong kriminal,” he added.
(I believe that’s what the people expect, that these rogue cops will be charged criminally and not just administratively or be shuffled (to another department).)
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Aquino filed Bill No. 1285 or the PNP Internal Affairs Service Modernization Act as one of the measures to help eradicate the bad elements from the PNP.
“It is of utmost importance to ensure that all members of the PNP Police clamp down on crime and corruption while fully abiding by the law,” he said.
The bill strengthens the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of PNP, “with provisions for autonomy and independence in its administration and operations,” and mandates IAS to “instill discipline and enhance the performance of personnel and units of PNP at all levels of its command.”
Aquino said that with these rogue cops using the war on drugs to cover their crimes, the controls need to be stronger.
“Kailangan nating ibalik ang tiwala ng tao sa PNP. Siguraduhin natin na wala nang mangyayari pang ganito at tiyakin na ang mga taong gumawa ng masama ay makulong at managot,” Aquino added.
(We need to recapture the people’s trust in the PNP. We need to make sure that similar incidents like this will not happen again and we need to make sure that those responsible for these crimes will be jailed and made accountable.)IDL