The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday twitted the Philippine National Police for giving erring personnel kid-glove treatment, a criticism that the national police disputed.
Carlos Conde, HRW Asia division researcher, said that policemen accused of negative behavior were punished only with reassignment and anger management training.
Conde was referring to two policemen, including one who was caught on video wildly swinging a rattan stick at an ordinance violator in Mandaluyong City, who were transferred to the besieged Marawi City.
鈥淭ypically, such abuses鈥攚hich are commonplace throughout the country鈥攅licit no response at all from the police hierarchy.聽 But even when action is taken, it pretty much misses the point,鈥� he said in a statement.
Disciplinary process
Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, PNP spokesperson, however, was quick to clarify that the two policemen were facing administrative charges for their misconduct, and not merely transferred.
鈥淓rring cops do not get 鈥榢id-glove treatment鈥� but are subjected to the established disciplinary procedures,鈥� he said in a statement, referring to the investigation of erring policemen by the Internal Affairs Service for administrative or criminal charges.
Conde observed that abusive law enforcers were deployed to more dangerous assignments as an 鈥渋nformal punishment鈥� for violations of police procedure.
鈥淯ntil the Philippine National Police ensures genuine accountability within its ranks, police abuses will continue unabated,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, senators are split on the deployment of erring policemen to difficult assignments.
Sen. Francis Escudero saw no problem assigning scalawags to 鈥渄ifficult assignments.鈥� Sen. Gregorio Honasan also defended the policy, saying PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa鈥檚 way with police scalawags was 鈥渁 purely administrative and procedural matter鈥� governed by the law and the police institution鈥檚 rules and regulations.
But Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian compared police scalawags to cancer that must be cut off in order to keep the rest of the organization healthy.
鈥淚 always believe that if you move a cancer to a different part of the body, it is still cancer. In order to remove cancer, you have to amputate it. It鈥檚 the same with scalawags, they must be removed from the force,鈥� he said.
Sen. Bam Aquino urged the PNP to rethink its policy, saying such strategy would further weaken public trust in the police.
鈥淔ilipinos deserve an upstanding police force. Delinquent cops should be fired, not just reassigned and sent to Mindanao,鈥� said Aquino.
In Marawi City, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday raised objection to the reassignment of Police Officers 1 Jose Tandog and Chito Enriquez to the war-torn lakeside city.