Marcos urged to enforce iron fist on PNP

MANILA, Philippines — With the recent controversies hounding the Philippine National Police due to alleged irregularities committed by some officers, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Saturday urged President Marcos to apply an iron first policy on the PNP.

VACC president Arsenio Evangelista said the President should consider what his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, did with the PNP, which was to enforce an iron fist policy that sowed a climate of fear among the police force.

“During the time of Duterte we saw them become well-behaved, if not afraid,” he said in Filipino over Radyo 630 dwPM.

Evangelista made the statement in response to the latest issues facing the PNP.  Among these is the killing of 17-year-old Jerhode Baltazar by policemen in Navotas City, in what police investigators said was a case of mistaken identity.

In another incident, anti-narcotics operatives of the Imus police station in Cavite were charged with robbery after they allegedly looted the house of a retired teacher during an anti-drug operation.

And in Taguig, an officer shot dead a fellow policeman during a heated argument inside the city’s police station.

For Evangelista, Marcos should implement the same policy to bring back discipline in the police force.

“From time to time, or most of the time, he should be visible on national TV – an iron fist – a strong message to the police which may create that fear factor,” he said.

Evangelista lamented that after Marcos took over leadership of the country, some police got involved in illegal drugs and other criminal activities.

“They (illegal drug activities) were able to reclaim the streets of the country nationwide, wherein police were again involved,” he said.

The PNP stressed its internal disciplinary mechanisms are working, noting that 583 erring police officers were dismissed from the service during the first year of Marcos’ term.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the policemen were found guilty of committing grave offenses.

She said 978 erring police officers were suspended without pay while 129 were demoted for various infractions.