Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III today called for an immediate stop to Camp Crame’s practice of re-assigning erring policemen to Mindanao, because “the South is deserving of honest and disciplined lawmen like the rest of the country.”
Pimentel said the Philippine National Police (PNP) should file administrative cases against the erring lawmen so that they could be expelled from the PNP or send them back to the Police Academy for re-education and re-orientation of values.
In a press statement, Pimentel said he was expressing the dismay and apprehension of law-abiding citizens in the South for being the “favored dumping ground” for rogue policemen.
“Mindanao should be treated by the PNP with the same respect that all Filipinos deserve regardless of their faith, their culture, and their economic status,” Pimentel said.
“Give Mindanao the best men in uniform. Mindanao deserves nothing less,” Pimentel said.
He urged PNP Chief Ronald de la Rosa to eliminate this practice in the expected sweeping reforms to cleanse the 160-thousand-strong police force amid complaints of police abuses in the government’s continuing war on illegal drugs.
De la Rosa faced grilling by senators last Thursday (January 26) at a Senate committee hearing on the alleged involvement of senior police officers in “Tokhang for Ransom” operations victimizing Korean nationals.
Police with known involvement in cases such as this should be swiftly prosecuted and not given a mere slap on the wrist, Pimentel said.
“They should not be recycled and sent to far-away postings as punishment. This will merely transfer the problem, not put a stop to it,” Pimentel said.