WHAT DO we make of the Department of Justice’s belated drug war review, with policemen as primary subjects?
One thing is clear. Many of our policemen are good people, but the few scalawags stain the integrity of the entire organization.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) needs to do something with cops who have the tendency to abuse their power. The police must uphold its sworn duty to serve and protect our people and our country. There is a need to address the issue of erring cops and officials who taint the image of the police. The PNP must allay the public’s qualms on law enforcers’ ability to keep peace and order and regain the people’s full confidence in the police force.
The public certainly support the war against illegal drugs but many have become doubtful, a Social Weather Stations survey conducted a year after the Duterte administration came to power showed. A majority believes that only poor drug pushers are being killed. A total of 60 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “Hindi pinapatay ang mga mayayaman na drug pusher; ang mga pinapatay ay ang mahihirap lamang (Rich drug pushers are not killed; only the poor ones are killed). Another survey found that most Filipinos (63 percent) believe drug suspects are still killed even after they surrender. Who can blame them for thinking so?
If anything, these surveys must prompt the police to show restraint in conducting police operations to safeguard innocent Filipinos, especially children, who are treated as collateral damage. There should be thorough investigation on the deaths caused by the police.
There is no doubt that the PNP accomplished a lot in its war against illegal drugs. But corrupt members of the service have taken advantage of the anti-drug campaign to conduct shakedowns, extortion, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
The PNP should have a crackdown, too, against the scalawags and misfits in its ranks. There should be a top-to-bottom clean-up.
