From BusinessMirror: Former Sen. Ping Lacson offered “unsolicited advice, as it may be,” to strengthen and make independent the PNP’s IAS, which he said, “as of now” is not functioning as well as it should owing to inherent limitations in its structure, mandate and funding.
Lacson assails cash ‘rewards’ system in drug war
Butch Fernandez / October 17, 2024
FORMER senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday offered “unsolicited advice, as it may be,” to strengthen and make independent the National Police’s Internal Affairs Service which, he said, “as of now” is not functioning as well as it should owing to inherent limitations in its structure, mandate and funding.
Proof of such institutional weakness, he said, is that the local IAS, for all the hard work of those named to head it, does not evoke as much fear among the ranks of policemen under investigation. In contrast, he said., in the US, “pag narinig ng pulis sila pinapatawag ng IAS, alam nila totohanan at meron silang paglalagyan kung may kasalanan sila [when a cop learns he is being called by IAS, they know it’s serious and they will land somewhere if they’re found guilty].”
In aid of legislation, he added, one reform may be that besides the filing of cases against erring cops. “let’s strengthen IAS to handle abuses and violations by policemen.” Besides, he added, “under the PNP Law [there is a] PLEB [Police Local Law Enforcement Board], which is community-based.”
He agreed with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla that “we should really remove politics from the National Police. Stop the practice of allowing local politicians to pull the strings and interfere in police operations.
Asked how politicking can be stopped, Lacson, a former National Police chief before being elected senator, said, “the structure must be defined.”
In the case of the PNP IAS, he said police officers must not be shuffled between their mother units and the IAS and back, to avoid pressure from peers or superior officers.
The IAS should be like “a permanent service where one stays until retirement so as to be insulated from politics. Let’s face it, there’s politics in the PNP; may pulitika sa PNP. There’s politics in all organizations, even in the private sector.”
Lacson’s views were sought in a radio interview owing to his police background, and the recent controversies that ensnared former ranking police officials, notably the murder of a former PCSO official, and the revelations that a “reward system” was set up during the Duterte presidency so that policemen carrying out the anti-drug war received higher “rewards” if they killed suspects.
Lacson said a reward system is always good, but it’s better to give out medals for achievements, not cash.
“Ang kasamaan kasi nito pag may reward, nagiging overeager ang ating kapulisan at minsan nauuwi sa personalan at kung hindi man, pinipilit maka-score para makakuha ng reward money. Iyan din ang sinabi ni Colonel Garma.
“Pardon the word, pero na-prostitute ang kalakaran sa operation laban sa droga.”