Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
Senator Francis Escudero on Wednesday told the hierarchy of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to initiate reforms that will change the “negative perception” of Filipinos on policemen, instead of always being in denial.
Escudero said the PNP and its chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa should accept the fact that there are more Filipinos who understand that the “nanlaban” claim during every police operation is unbelievable.
The senator said Dela Rosa should instead introduce reforms to prevent these lapses from happening again.
Escudero’s reaction came after a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Monday revealed that more Filipinos found the police’s “nanlaban” claim is absurd and hard to believe.
READ: Few believe ‘nanlaban’ tales of police – SWS
“Siguro dapat kilalanin at tanggapin ng PNP na may negatibong perception talaga sa kanila ang ilan sa ating mga kababayan at dapat nilang baguhin ito kesa naman in denial ang PNP kabilang na si General Bato sa pagsasabing galing lamang yan sa kanilang mga kritiko,” Escudero told reporters.
(Maybe it is time for the PNP to consider accepting the negative perception on them by some of our countrymen and try to change them instead of being in denial, including here is General Bato who claims that these perceptions are just coming from critics.)
The senator also pointed out that the public could discern for themselves what is true.
“Matalino at alam ng mga tao ang nangyayari, alam nila at pag tahimik at tumahimik ang kanilang mga lugar kumpara noon dahil nabawasan ang mga adik sa kalye,” he said.
(The people know and they are intelligent enough to know what is happening, they know what’s going on in their place if it becomes peaceful because there are less drug addicts in the streets.)
“Pero ibang isyu pagkakaroon ng patayan kung saan madalas ang kine-claim ng PNP ay nanlaban diumano yung suspect,” Escudero added.
(But the issue on killings is different where the PNP always claims the suspects were always fighting back.)
The SWS survey, which revealed a declining trend in the public’s opinion on the PNP’s honesty when policemen declared that drug suspects were killed because they resisted arrest or attacked authorities during their arrest, showed 37 percent of Filipino adults believed that policemen were lying.
The latest survey shows there was a 9 percentage points increase from June’s 28 percent.
Only 17 percent of the respondents believed that policemen were telling the truth, while 45 percent were still undecided on the issue.
The survey was conducted from September 23 to 27 among 1,500 subjects. /jpv
READ: PNP’s ‘nanlaban’ stories are lies, more Filipinos think so