The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) favors the reactivation of the defunct Philippine Constabulary to give the government more teeth in the campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the PC can be renamed Federal Police in tune with the concept of federalism aggressively pushed by President Duterte.
The proposal, however, will not strip local chief executives of police
“The local police would be controlled by the local chief executives, and the Federal Police, or the PC will be under the President,” said dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa explained that the reactivation of the PC would serve as a form of check and balance on the realm of law enforcement activities.
While the local chief executives will have the control on the local police force, the PC will take action on matters that the local police force would not be able to address.
“So it is the PC (Federal Police) which will countercheck the wrongdoings of the local police force. This will be a check and balance with the Federal Police under the President, the PC,” said dela Rosa.
The PC was dissolved and merged with the Integrated National Police (INP) to form the current Philippine National Police in 1991 under the administration of the late President Cory Aquino.
Human rights activists have been opposing the plan to reactivate the PC which it accused of being responsible in the death, disappearance and torture of anti-Marcos activists during the martial law period.
Dela Rosa also linked the importance of having a police force directly under the President and not under the local chief executives to the illegal drugs problems in the country.
“If we have Federal Police, this will not be controlled by narco-politicians,” said dela Rosa.