Merit-based

As noteworthy as the high number of drug suspects being killed daily is the number of cops arrested or themselves slain on suspicion of involvement in the illegal trade, or else relieved from their posts for drug use.

We don’t know when the law enforcers lost their way and became lawbreakers. Presumably they were still straight when they joined the Philippine National Police.

PNP applicants are required to undergo psychiatric evaluation and a physical exam that includes testing for a drug habit. The number of cops being implicated in the drug trade indicates something wrong with the PNP recruitment process. Most of the cops apprehended, sacked or killed in the ongoing drug war are/were enlisted personnel who are/were relatively new in the force.

How did so many “lowlifes” – in the words of President Duterte – manage to infiltrate law enforcement?

There are three possible scenarios. One is that the rotten eggs bribed their way through the PNP recruitment process, bypassing the required neuropsychiatric evaluation and testing for drug abuse.

Another is that after a while, the system turned them rotten: low pay can make cops vulnerable to the lure of big money from the drug trade.

Studies have shown that there are still many cops who live below the poverty line, lacking decent shelters and other basic needs. While poverty is no excuse to commit crime, it makes cops vulnerable to recruitment as protectors of drug traffickers, or to direct involvement in the trade as they release drugs confiscated as evidence to street pushers.

A third possibility is that the PNP simply skips the required vetting of any applicant who is endorsed by an influential patron – typically a politician or other government official, PNP officer or religious group.

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If President Duterte wants the PNP cleansed of rotten eggs, he should start the reforms at the recruitment stage. Apart from stopping corruption among those in charge of the recruitment process, entering the PNP mainly through connections should be discouraged.

In fact anyone who wants “real change” in this country must implement reforms to develop a meritocracy, starting with all aspects of public service. Filipinos must rise to the top based on merit rather than connections.

The most successful nations are meritocracies, with the cream allowed to rise to the top. The idea that anything is possible, that dreams can be achieved through hard work and the pursuit of excellence rather than the right surname, and that success is determined by what rather than whom you know – these are the most powerful incentives for achieving one’s full potential.

In meritocracies, even those born to immense wealth and entitlements must prove their own worth before they earn a nation’s respect or occupy public office. Such societies also typically hold to higher behavioral standards those born to privilege. A gilded existence often becomes restricting, imposing a burden of responsible behavior from which ordinary mortals are spared.

If we want efficient public service, we must require specific sets of skills that government workers must meet when they are hired or promoted. Such requirements must never be disregarded to accommodate influential individuals who see jobs in government as mere instruments of political patronage.

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The heavily politicized system of promotions and assignments in government has given the nation a lot of incompetent public servants, wreaking havoc on the delivery of basic services.

This has weakened the criminal justice system and given us corruptible prosecutors, judges and justices who are beholden to their patrons. It has allowed politicians and influential groups to use government personnel and resources for personal and partisan purposes.

There are vetting bodies for assignments and promotions in the judiciary, the military and police. But they often serve merely as deodorizers, legitimizing the whims of politicians and other top government officials.

Foreigners have found it remarkable that many Filipinos do very well overseas, dedicated in their work and constantly embarked on self-improvement. I don’t think better pay is the only reason; more important is an environment that allows individuals to move ahead based on merit rather than a birthright or a VIP’s endorsement.

In such societies, where the requirements for career advancement are clear-cut and rigorously followed, a VIP’s endorsement for an undeserved promotion or assignment can open the intended beneficiary to embarrassment and ridicule by peers.

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President Duterte had earlier called for an end to temporary restraining orders issued by corrupt judges, which he said have derailed the implementation of government projects and programs.

Duterte later backpedaled – sort of – but he had made his point, and I’m sure most Filipinos agreed with him.

He can play a direct role in reducing corruption and improving efficiency in the judiciary, a co-equal and independent branch – by appointing qualified people to the service.

The same thing can be done in the police, which he wants cleansed of the drug problem, and throughout the bureaucracy for that matter.

Apart from de-politicizing police recruitment, Duterte may want to require a thorough background check on anyone before formal hiring, including visits to the applicant’s neighborhood and home. There aren’t too many PNP recruits every year so this is possible. Drugs leave the body through the urine within about three days so the tests can be useless for police recruitment. Psychiatric states can also change within a matter of months.

Public service is only as good as the people tasked to do the job. If we want competent individuals to provide professional public service, we must professionalize the hiring process.