A slap in the face of the PNP

Business groups are increasingly alarmed over apparent abuses committed by certain members of the Philippine National Police who are under the (mistaken) notion that illegal actions will be condoned. Many observers have told us that a lot of cops are giving off an air of arrogance, as if they have become “the ruling class” in this country.

Unfortunately, this kind of arrogance seems to be rubbing off on the kin of PNP officials judging from a slapping incident involving a Cebu Pacific flight attendant and a passenger who reportedly claimed to be the wife of a police general (or colonel). The flight attendant, identified as Madel Ty, posted photos on social media showing her reddish neck and ear due to a stinging slap from the irate passenger who wanted a flight attendant to stow the passenger’s luggage in the overhead bin.

Apparently, Ty was only trying to pacify the passenger who was reportedly spewing abusive language, telling the cabin crew that their job is to assist passengers, likening them to “bus conductors.” Not that there is anything wrong with bus conductors, but the female passenger had no business ordering the cabin crew around since it is not their job to carry passengers’ bags. 

In the first place, a lot of airlines instruct their crew not to carry or lift heavy bags or luggage of passengers because if they sustain any injury as a result, insurance companies will not cover the medical expenses. Ty promised to sue but she took down her Facebook post after it went viral, reportedly apprehensive since she was going against a police general’s wife.  

The woman should just be glad she was not offloaded from the flight. According to the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008 or Republic Act 9497, any person on board the aircraft who assaults, intimidates, or threatens any crew member or flight attendant could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to P500,000.

The slapping incident may seem minor, but it is an indicator of the kind of arrogance some people have because they (or their husbands) are in positions of power, forgetting that they can be held accountable for their abusive behavior. One other example of arrogance is that of a Negros Occidental town police chief who made his underling stand in a firing range with a balloon between his legs during a shooting practice. In a video that has also since gone viral, clapping and encouraging shouts could be heard after the first shot missed the balloon. The police chief must be such a poor shot because when he fired a second time, he hit the policeman’s foot instead of the balloon.

Even more disturbing is the shooting of 27-year-old motorcycle driver John dela Riarte who was involved in a minor vehicular accident. Witness accounts say the young man, already in handcuffs, was taken in a police patrol car by three responding policemen, one of whom must have been engaged in an argument with Dela Riarte. A few seconds later, the young man was dead – sustaining four shots in the neck, chest and waist.

According to the police version of the incident, Dela Riarte grabbed the firearm of one policeman, saying the man was uncontrollable and theorizing he must have been high on drugs. Relatives decry the incident as “overkill,” disputing the drugs angle since Dela Riarte was reporting for his new job and was on a “natural” high. Besides, how could a handcuffed man overpower three armed policemen?

When the president told the PNP to double efforts against criminality, he did not give them blanket authority to abuse their position. The PNP is supposed to enhance the feeling of safety among Filipinos, not become a source of anxiety and fear.

Cuisia vs. Yasay

At the recent Makati Business Club testimonial lunch for US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and outgoing Philippine Ambassador to Washington Joey Cuisia, Cuisia criticized Foreign Secretary Jun Yasay for his inability to have the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling included in the joint final statement following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Laos.

While many agree with former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario that Secretary Yasay could have made a stronger stand, a DFA spokesman said Secretary Yasay has been constantly in touch with Del Rosario, which is just right. What seems out of place is for current Ambassador to Washington Joey Cuisia to criticize Yasay because as pointed out by columnist Bobi Tiglao, “until he (Cuisia) is relieved, he is a foreign affairs functionary, whose immediate boss now is Yasay. How can an undersecretary – the rank of an ambassador in the Foreign Affairs department – criticize the official actions of the DFA secretary, the chief envoy, and the president’s alter ego?”

We are not surprised though at Joey’s remarks as he reportedly has an axe to grind going back to the days when Jun was SEC chair and Joey was CEO of PhilamLife.

Pacifists are saying the new Foreign secretary should try a new tack since the hardline stance taken in the past has only served to fan the flames of China’s aggression. As they say, different strokes for different folks.    

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