We are under a state of public health emergency by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 922. The country is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, there is a noticeable spike in the past few days, and the government must use its police power under the Constitution to make sure that the further spread of the virus is prevented or controlled.
That said, civilians should also do their part by cooperating with lawful instructions and following the proper health protocols. This is the key to minimizing the spread of the coronavirus.
To Panay News: We wish to set the record straight regarding some claims by Mr. Roberto “Bert” Ladera in his March 4 column in Panay News – including that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is belittling the efforts of our law enforcers in battling the menace of illegal drugs, when he said that the anti-drug war has not succeeded.
Kailangang pagbutihin ng mga awtoridad ang mga polisiyang ginagamit sa operasyon laban sa ilegal na droga upang hindi na maulit ang madugong misencounter na nangyari sa pagitan ng mga operatiba ng Philippine National Police (PNP) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Ayon kay Senador at dating PNP Chief Panfilo Lacson, ang isa sa mga sistemang dapat na isagawa sa usapin ng ilegal na droga ay dapat na ang PDEA ang magsisilbing “overseer” sa operasyon kung saan nakatutok lamang ito sa intelihensiya habang ang pagsalakay o pagtimbog ay ipapaubaya na sa mga sinanay na tauhan ng PNP.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam sa kanya ng DZBB.
Ang nabanggit na sistema ay ginagamit na ng ibang bansang nagpapatupad ng seryosong kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” dagdag pa ni Lacson.
The government may need to adjust its policies to prevent a repeat of the deadly “misencounter” between Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives in Quezon City last Wednesday, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said one such adjustment would involve the PDEA “overseeing” anti-drug operations and focusing on intelligence work, and leaving the assault operations to specially trained police personnel.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” he added.
Without the certainty of punishment, the conviction of “pork barrel scam queen” Janet Lim-Napoles will not be enough to stop the menace of pork barrel and its iterations, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Saturday.
Lacson, who had battled the pork barrel system since 2001, lamented that not even the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing pork in 2013 managed to stop the practice since those involved would merely find a way to circumvent it.
“Have we solved the problem of ensuring public funds are used properly instead of going to the pockets of corrupt people? Can we be sure projects are free of bribery and other forms of corruption? These are questions that we must ask ourselves, and we can easily verify the answers – it takes two to tango,” he said in an interview on DWIZ radio.
This is a continuation of our previous public hearing held last October 5, 2020, on the MUP pension bills referred to this committee, which was suspended with the commitment that an actuarial study would be conducted by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) together with our key stakeholders, such as the Bureau of Treasury and the MUPs, among others.
Just to refresh our memory, last year and this year’s appropriations reflect the veracity of this serious financial concern, given the steep increase in the MUPs’ pension funding from P80 billion in 2020 to P120 billion under the 2021 General Appropriations Act.
In an interview with Malou Mangahas, Sen. Lacson answered questions on: * Tarlac shooting incident
* Need for proactive stance vs terrorism
* Pork barrel system
* Fight vs corruption
If what’s on video tells the whole story, I enjoin the Philippine National Police leadership to show no mercy. They should spare no effort to make sure that he rots in jail. He’s the last policeman that they need in the force.
As a policy recommendation, policemen should turn in their issued firearms to their unit’s armorer or supply officer when on off-duty status. That said, they should not be issued Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residence (PTCFOR) while still in the active service.
The PNP should always uphold its motto “To Serve and Protect.” That includes taking appropriate steps to protect our people from scalawags in their ranks, whether they are on duty or not.
From Lito Banayo’s column in the Manila Standard: Those who know the man enough also know that he would rather fight the good fight, regardless of the odds, a seeming Don Quixote jousting against the windmills of evil, fighting the unbeatable foe, regardless of public approbation or disapproval from peers—outlier if need be—just to be consistent with what upon his graduation from the Philippine Military Academy in the Class of 1971, he vowed: “What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.”
In his interpellation of the DILG’s proposed P244.309B budget for 2021, Sen. Lacson sought to restore the Quick Response Funds for the PNP and BFP, whose personnel have been frontliners even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Lacson also proposed possible amendments to the PNP Law to raise entry-level salaries particularly for its lawyers, doctors and chemists.
