House to probe crimes involving cops

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will look into the increasing number of crimes involving police officers and the disciplinary processes of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Resolution 1495, authored by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, who heads the Visayas bloc of lawmakers, prompted the investigation.

In his resolution, Benitez cited recent high-profile crimes to which police officers have been linked.

These include a kidnap-robbery incident along EDSA in Mandaluyong City last Sept. 1.

Several Quezon City police officers, including at least one who had been separated from the service, have been arrested or are being hunted in connection with the incident.

The crime was solved after a concerned citizen uploaded on social media a photograph of armed men dragging the two victims from a sport utility vehicle into their cars.

The victims were held for about six hours at the La Loma police station, where the suspects were assigned.

The victims, both employees of a Mindanao-based contractor, claimed the lawmen took the P2 million which they were supposed to use to buy heavy equipment, and more than P30,000 in their personal funds.

Benitez said it was alarming that this incident involved senior police officers, including a chief inspector and a senior inspector.

He said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has tied several members of the Philippine National Police Academy Class 2001 to kidnapping-robbery and extortion activities as early as 2006, including two of those linked to the Sept. 1 EDSA “hulidap.”

He also cited the case of Korean tourist Chong Yong Woo, who was arrested by 10 police officers and was asked for P10,000 for his release, and the case of Chinese businessman Lin Jan Zhang, who accused two lawmen of robbing and kidnapping him.

There is also the involvement of a Pasay City police officer in the murder of racecar driver Enzo Pastor, he said.

Something is wrong in the processes of instilling and keeping discipline among PNP personnel and with the work and functions of the PNP internal affairs service (IAS), which is supposed to investigate erring policemen, he said.

“Amid the growing crimes committed by some members of the police force, it is time that we take a critical look at the efficiency of the PNP-IAS and also assess if there are necessary policy adjustments,” he said.