Leadership by example remains the key to ensuring discipline in the Philippine National Police (PNP), former PNP Chief and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.
Lacson said this is the secret that would give the PNP Chief the moral authority to tell his personnel not to extort or be involved in criminal activities.
“When I was Chief PNP, I had only one baseline – leadership by example. If the Chief PNP does not extort or engage in crime, he has the moral authority to tell his men to follow his example,” he said in English and Filipino at the Kapihan sa Senado forum.
In Filipino: Paalala ni Lacson sa PNP: Leadership by Example, Susi sa Pagdidisiplina sa mga Pulis
He stressed this in the wake of recent crimes involving police personnel such as a rape in Cebu, and a policeman stabbing a fellow officer in Camp Crame, and a Negros Oriental policeman who killed three fellow officers and a female civilian in a restaurant-bar.
During his term as PNP Chief from 1999 to 2001, Lacson led by example and cleansed the PNP of rogues – thus earning the PNP high trust and approval ratings from the public.
Lacson said he trusts acting PNP chief P/Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. will work with Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla in disciplining what he called the ICU – Inept, Corrupt and Undisciplined – police officers.
“Nartatez knows my style as Chief PNP. I hope he with the help of the DILG secretary will discipline the police,” he said.
In the meantime, Lacson said he intends to file legislation giving the PNP more teeth against rogue members by making its Internal Affairs Service (IAS) independent.
“The IAS must be separate from the PNP and have more teeth and more power. For now, it seems to be an adjunct of the PNP and is not truly independent,” he said.
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Paalala ni Lacson sa PNP: Leadership by Example, Susi sa Pagdidisiplina sa mga Pulis
Leadership by example pa rin ang susi upang tiyakin ang disiplina sa Philippine National Police (PNP), giit ni dating PNP Chief at Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules.
Ani Lacson, dapat may moral authority ang PNP Chief para sabihan ang kanyang mga tauhan na huwag mangotong o masangkot sa mga gawaing kriminal.
“When I was Chief PNP, isa lang naman ang pinaka-baseline o pinaka-importante, leadership by example. Pag ang Chief PNP hindi tumatanggap, meron isang moral authority na sabihan ang kanyang mga tauhan kayong mangotong, huwag kayong gumawa ng crimes. So ganun lang ang sikreto,” ani Lacson sa Kapihan sa Senado forum.
Binigyang-diin niya ito kasunod ng mga kamakailang krimeng kinasangkutan ng mga tauhan ng pulisya, kabilang ang isang kaso ng panggagahasa sa Cebu, pananaksak ng isang pulis sa kapwa niya pulis sa Camp Crame, at ang insidente sa Negros Oriental kung saan napatay ng isang pulis ang tatlo niyang kasamahang pulis at isang babaeng sibilyan sa isang restaurant-bar.
Noong pinamunuan niya ang PNP mula 1999 hanggang 2001, pinairal ni Lacson ang leadership by example, at tinanggal ang mga tiwali sa kapulisan. Dahil dito, mataas ang trust at approval ratings na nakamit ng pulis sa publiko.
Nagtitiwala si Lacson na makikipagtulungan ang acting PNP chief na si P/Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. kay Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla upang disiplinahin ang tinawag niyang ICU — Inept, Corrupt, and Undisciplined — na mga pulis.
“P/Lt. Gen. Nartatez, alam niya ang style ko noon as CPNP and I hope he with the assistance of the DILG Secretary, pagtulungan talaga i-disiplinahin ang pulis (Nartatez knows my style as Chief PNP. I hope he with the help of the DILG secretary will discipline the police),” aniya.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na balak niyang maghain ng panukalang batas upang bigyan ng mas matibay na kapangyarihan ang PNP laban sa mga tiwaling miyembro nito sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng kalayaan o pagiging independent ng Internal Affairs Service (IAS).
“Ang paghiwalay, and bibigyan ng more teeth, more power ang IAS, kasi ang IAS ngayon parang adjunct lang ng PNP na hindi truly independent,” ani Lacson.
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