Legal aid for cops from Cebu City Government: P50T won’t be license to kill

CEBU, Philippines — The P50,000 aid Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants to give cops who can kill criminals during operations is not a license to kill, the Police Regional Office (PRO) - 7 said yesterday.

“Kung moingon ka nga mosubra ang buhaton sa pulis nga mamusil na lang para naay reward, it is a different story… dili man na mao atong mandate,” said PRO-7 spokesperson, Supt. Reyman Tolentin.

Instead, he said, the move is a “morale booster” for cops and the PNP will not refuse the aid.

“Dili sad namo na balibaran kay makatabang man gud ba sa police. P50,000 can help a lot para sa pagdepensa sa iyang (policeman) kaugalingon. We are mandated by law to do our job; dili gyud na nato malikayan na it will boost the morale of the troops nga naay local government unit nga mo-support,” Tolentin said.

Earlier, the mayor said the city will give P50,000 legal assistance to cops who can kill criminals in the line of duty.

He said the money is not a reward but assistance to cops who can be ineffective because they do not have enough to defend themselves, especially when they are in trouble in line with their work.

Tolentin pointed out that cops facing charges use their own money for legal proceedings. A private lawyer’s acceptance fee, for example, can reach up to P50,000.

Tolentin echoed the statement of PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, that the police will follow the rules of engagement strictly during operations.

Tolentin said only the “most necessary force” will be applied to neutralize danger during anti-illegal drug operations.

“In fact, di man mi mamusil kun walay threat, wala’y eminent danger to protect our life. Ang force i-apply during operation is enough to eliminate the threat. Kung naa’y danger, we have to apply force,” Tolentin said.

He added, “Di nato makalikayan naa’y mamatay… that is part of our job with or without award… the police is mandated to do his job. Still, we see to it nga the police act within the bounds of the law.”

Reminder

At City Hall, councilors also reminded the police to comply with procedural guidelines in apprehending offenders.

In a privilege speech, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella said he is not against the campaign against criminality, especially the fight against illegal drugs “however, with due respect, this pronouncement from the honorable mayor pursues a cultivation of an environment where order is attained not through the means enshrined in our legal institutions but through impunity and disregard on the sanctity of life.”

In the context of Osmeña’s pronouncement, Labella said there is a question that begs an answer: When can a person be considered criminal?

“This inducement to give cash bounty for every death is but an invitation to perpetuate impunity and desensitizes the people from the idea that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law enshrined in the Bill of Rights. In considering public policy, we should not lose sight of the law that both permits and limits our actions,” he said.

Labella said the protection of the life of all people is “never a choice but a legal obligation we, as public officers, must uphold.”

It can be recalled that police-led operations have caused public outrage, allegedly due to lapses in police operational procedures which led for the President Rodrigo Duterte, to go to-and-fro in ousting the police in the anti-illegal drug campaign.

Recently, Duterte gave the go signal for the police to rejoin the frontlines in the government’s drug war, which is headed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The president suspended police participation following public outrage over alleged lapses in police operations, particularly the alleged extrajudicial killings. (FREEMAN)