Cops doing shameful things and tarnishing the image of the Philippine National Police deserve to be publicly shamed, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said yesterday.
“Shaming the cops who keep shaming the PNP, I think, they deserve to be shamed. They deserve nothing less,” Lacson told reporters in an interview, referring to President Duterte’s expletive-laden speech delivered Tuesday in Malacanang where he publicly berated erring policemen.
Lacson also said he sees nothing wrong with the President’s directive to send these erring cops to war-torn Basilan where they would stay for two years.
“The main objective there is to uproot them from their areas of so-called influence. Kasi kung masyado na silang familiar at gumagawa sila ng kalokohan, whether they are transferred to Basilan, to Samar, as long as they are uprooted, para mawala ang impluwensya nila roon, para ang environment mabago,” said the chairperson of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee. “I’ll support that move,” he reiterated.
Lacson said he hopes that the PNP provides individual case folders for the next batch of erring cops that would be disciplined.
“Para maliwanag ang offense/s ng mga dadalhin sa Malacañang, para palanguyin sa Pasig River at pakainin ng water lily, dapat may matibay na basehan. Kasi mukhang di maliwanag. Sinabi ang iba tardiness, of course offense din yan,” he said.
“Kung validated, that’s good. Kasi baka mamaya namamali nga. Remember, in an institution like the PNP, may due process pa rin,” Lacson said.
While others fear it can demoralize law enforcement agencies, Lacson believes the move can actually lift the morale of honest and trustworthy policemen.
“Kasi nakita nila may ginagawa rin eh, kasi contagious ‘yun. Infectious yan. Pag ang katabi mo ang daming kalokohang ginagawa tapos hindi napaparusahan, baka ikaw sabihin mo na rin, ito enjoy ito, sama na ako sa kanya,” he said. (Hannah L. Torregoza)