More than a roller coaster ride for PNP

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) had an action-filled year in 2017 – from the exposé of police officers kidnapping and killing a South Korean businessman, alleged summary execution of teenage boys and numerous incidences of extrajudicial killing of reported drug peddlers, to the extension of term of office of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

“It has been not just a roller coaster ride, it’s anchors away,” Dela Rosa said, describing the year by comparing it to how fun or scary amusement park rides could be.

He recounted the times he felt so happy receiving compliments for PNP efforts at ensuring law and order and those that brought him to the verge of quitting his job.

“In my trips here and abroad, I felt like I was high on drugs when I received those compliments from the public. Then, I go back to Camp Crame and learn that a Korean was killed right inside the police camp. Wow. You are pulled down to the point of quitting. Then, you go up again after working hard and down again after a Police Officer 1 physically abuses people and up again after you catch some scalawags,” Dela Rosa said. 

The dust of controversies in the latter part of 2016 continued to haunt the PNP in 2017, including the killing of Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa on Nov. 5, 2016 and the murder of South Korean Jee Ick-joo inside Camp Crame on Oct. 18, 2016 but exposed only in January 2017.

Dela Rosa admitted Jee’s murder right inside the PNP national headquarters made him think of giving up. It also led him to offer his resignation to President Duterte, who refused to let him go.

Before his term as chief of police could end on Jan. 21, the day he turns 56 and goes on mandatory retirement, Duterte extended his stay for another three months.

Anti-drug war

On March 5, the police launched Oplans (operation plans) Double Barrel Reloaded, Tokhang Revisited and High-Value Target Revalidated, which comprised the second wave of the government’s war against illegal drugs.

The campaigns were just as bloody as its predecessor – Oplan Tokhang – as Dela Rosa reasoned that police operatives do not have much choice when drug personalities opt to fight it out.

At least 34 alleged drug personalities were killed in the first 11 days of the three oplans.

Vice President Leni Robredo also accused the PNP of using the “palit ulo” (exchange heads) scheme in its anti illegal drug campaign.

Although Dela Rosa admitted that such scheme exists, it was not done in the context that Robredo presented.

He explained this scheme is done when police operatives believed that the drug personality they arrested could lead them to another who plays a bigger role in the drug trade.

“Instead of being charged for selling drugs (a more serious offense), the person will be charged with mere possession (a lighter offense). The lighter offense would allow him to post bail,” he added.

Awareness of the anti-drug war grew more intense with the killing of teenagers Kian Loyd delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman.

Forensic experts said the 17-year-old Delos Santos was kneeling and begging for his life when shot by operatives. The deaths of Arnaiz, 19, and De Guzman, 14, were also questioned, raising alarm at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other sectors.

The trust rating of the President also plummeted.

Sleeping with the enemy

Aside from the war on drugs, Dela Rosa had to deal with his own personnel who he said was “sleeping with the enemy” after it was found that Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza married her young lover Reneer Lou Dongon, an Abu Sayyaf member.

The wedding was reportedly officiated by Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, who was killed in a police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015.

Nobleza, who was caught in Bohol, allegedly confessed that she and her lover were in Panglao, Bohol to rescue another bandit who was wounded in a clash with government troops.

Dela Rosa was worried that Nobleza could have revealed sensitive information about police plans as he stressed that the PNP leadership will not tolerate scalawags.

“From the start, the PNP focus is on drugs, crime and corruption within the organization, internal cleansing. We know fully well that there are members within our ranks that are not performing their mandate and, in fact, conduct criminal activities. We don’t tolerate them,” he said.

Heroes in our midst

While there are scalawags in uniform, there are also police officers who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, like Supt. Arthur Masungsong, head of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group in Luzon, and PO3 Wilfredo Gueta of the Pasig City Anti-Drug Unit.

Masungsong was killed during a police operation to rescue a kidnap victim in Bulacan on Dec. 23, while Gueta was shot dead by a drug pusher the week before.

“As far as we are concerned, Supt. Masungsong sacrificed his life that others may live. And that will remain our rallying motivation,” said Senior Supt. Glenn Dumlao, the head of the anti-kidnapping group.

The chief PNP said Gueta will continue to serve as an inspiration to policemen and would be a reminder for them to stay focused and not be afraid. 

Hold your tongue

Dela Rosa is not your typical police chief, as he is both a controversial and polarizing figure within the PNP. Unlike his predecessors who were careful and guarded when giving interviews, he issued several unordinary statements that drew criticism.

In February, he reassigned “crooked” policemen from Luzon to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) so residents could just kill them if they continued to misbehave.

“That is why I sent them there, so they can die if they commit some foolishness,” he said after ARMM officials and residents complained about having abusive policemen in their region.

In May, a policeman was implicated in the illegal drug trade, prompting a frustrated Dela Rosa to challenge scalawags to a shootout.

“I’m already tired of appealing,” Dela Rosa said.

He also got himself into trouble in October when he called critics of the drug war as ingrates, a statement that did not sit well even with administration allies. Dela Rosa later apologized, explaining that it was a spur of the moment reaction borne out of frustration.

And, just last November, the police general, who is destined to become the next director of the New Bilibid Prison after retirement, said he might lead a vigilante group against police scalawags.

“I will be retiring back to Davao and you will be retiring inside the prison jail. If not, you will be retiring six feet under the ground,” he said of the crooked PNP members.

Asked what legacy he would leave at the PNP, Dela Rosa said he is the kind of chief who reaches out to the lowest ranked police officer and civilian workers.