MANILA, Philippines - With recent incidents involving the use of illegal guns, the question of the effectiveness of the police checkpoints in implementing the poll gun ban and in preventing such crimes comes to the fore.
The Philippine National Police leadership has already assured the public that every policeman manning these checkpoints is well trained and will strictly implement the operational procedures.
The PNP has also said it would uphold human rights while implementing the Commission on Elections checkpoints, but a police officer believes that this unnecessarily restricts the police's authority to conduct a thorough search or inspection.
The police officer, who has been manning checkpoints for almost 10 years, said checkpoints have been ineffective in preventing crimes.
And worse, he believes that these checkpoints are being used by criminals to their advantage -- a way for criminals to skirt the law.
"May gun ban nga tayo pero bakit sunod sunod iyong mga insidente ng barilan at nakawan? Kasi nga ginagawang blanket ng mga masasamang elemento itong gun ban," said the law enforcer.
He added that the policemen manning the checkpoints are very cautious in ensuring that they observe the "very stringent" human rights rules of checkpoints.
"Iyong human rights aspect ang pumapatay sa thoroughness ng checkpoint. Magandang basahin sa papel pero hindi na-aapply. On the tactical side, walang crime deterrence na nangyayari. Masyadong procedural, too technical na nasa-sacrifice yung effectiveness ng checkpoint," noted the police officer.
He said if lawmen conduct a search or a full body frisk on a person, they would be facing charges for violation of privacy.
The cop also said checkpoints have failed to deter criminals.
"Cunning na rin ngayon ang mga kriminal. Alam na nila iyan. They now know how not to be apprehended. Pinagtatawanan kami ng mga iyan," the police operative said.
He said the plain view doctrine has effectivly barred policemen from doing a thorough check or inspection of a suspected gun or firearm inside a vehicle.
"Kung ano lang nakita mo iyon lang. Kung nakatago yung baril? Puwede kang i refuse ng tao tapos kailangan mo pa ng search warrant para doon.
"Minsan may magrereklamo pa diyan na sinisilipan pa yung misis niya [matapos] nag flash light lang sa loob ng sasakyan" he said.
He said some police officers in checkpoints make up a "story" or "situation" just to make it appear in their reports that they saw the butt of the handgun.
"Kahit na nakabakat na iyan (gun) sa likod niya, hindi mo puwedeng hulihin o ifrisk iyan. Kaya ang ginagawa namin ay ginagawan na lang naming ng kwento na nakalilis kaya lumabas iyong parte ng baril," he said.
And if frisking would be involved, he said that there should be a lady police officer with them so they could do a body search on females.
He said there should be 12 to 14 cops in a normal check point to conduct a thorough search on a vehicle but because of the lack of policemen to go around, the number is cut down to half.
Under the police operational procedure, he said a checkpoint should be manned by a team leader, a spotter, a spokesperson, an investigation sub team, a search and arrest sub team, a security and arrest sub team, and a blocking and pursuing sub team.
"Usually my role is with the investigation sub team, which documents and makes the situation report," the police officer said.
He said checkpoints have only caught criminals by chance. "Ala tsamba na lang kami kung may mahuli man kami kasi usually ang checkpoint kino-conduct yan sa gabi. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.," he said.
He said the PNP and the national government should really review the rules in the operational procedure governing checkpoints
The source, however, admitted that there have been some abuses of some policemen in conducting checkpoints.
"Kahit naman sa States mayroong mga pagkakataon na may complaint sa mga pulis pero generally nag oobserve naman kami ng human rights. Ang hiling naman namin ay i- review itong procedure na akma sa realidad sa ground," he said.
For his part, PNP spokesperson, Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo defended the importance and effectiveness of police checkpoints all over the country, insisting it is a form of crime deterrence.
"Ang checkpoints mahalaga iyan.[At ang nagagawa nito ay] depende kung paano mo ito iimplement at depende kung paano mo ito idedeploy, kung saan na lugar mo ilalagay. Kasi deterrence ito in a sense na nag e establish ito ng police presence sa isang particular na area and siyempre mayroong control ito sa pagdaan o pagpasok ng mga vehicles," Cerbo said in a interview.
"On that note, on the part of the criminals pag nasesense mo na may checkpoint sa isang lugar, palagay ko mag-dadalawang isip ka rin kung isasagawa ang iyong pinaplano lalong-lalo na iyong types of crimes na importante iyong mabilisan eskerda from the scene of the crime sa pamamagitan ng vehicles. So matatakot ka, for example bank robberies o pagnanakaw sa mga pawnshops," he added.
Cerbo cited that checkpoints have been instrumental in subtantially bringing down the number of incidents of auto thefts in the past years.
"Malaki ang binaba ng carnapping. Kung babalikan natin in not too distant history di ba napakalaking problema sa Metro Manila ang carnapping incidents? Pero with the operations na ginagawa ng PNP kasama diyan ang pag conduct ng checkpoints sa ngayon very minimal...So I would say effective iyong ating checkpoints sa ating anti-criminality campaign," he said.
The police official, however, admitted that law enforcers have to contend with several limiting provisions in implementing checkpoints.
"On the part of the PNP importante kasi diyan iyong karapatan din ng ating mga motorista to their privacy...Well, puwede mong sabihin iyon na ang mga criminal all they have to do is itago iyong kanilang kontrabando, hindi na sila mahuhuli kasi hindi makikita pero ganoon talaga ," he said.
On the other hand, Cerbo said that although policemen could not do any full body search, in a different circumstance, law enforcer can search the vehicle of a person being stopped for a traffic violation or suspected of being a wanted person.
"Puwede kaming mag search sa ibang sirkumstansya. Unang-una dyan iyong mga 'pag in plain view makikita kami puwede naming hulihin... puwede kaming mag search without a warrant kapag ito'y incidental to a valid arrest. Ibig sabihin kapag may ginawa kang kasalanan, traffic violation, nabangga ka or you're a obviously intoxicated di ba? Puwede kang ihold ng police at puwede kang i-search lalong-lalo kapag ikaw ay hinuhuli.
"Iyun sa case ng mga wanted persons, baka masakote natin iyan sa checkpoints di ba? What if kilala namin sila na wanted di ba? Puwede naming hulihin at pag aresto namin sa kanya, we can search the car, we can search his companions on the basis of the valid arrest effected dun sa wanted person," he said.
Asked if the PNP leadership is open to a review of the existing regulations on checkpoints, Cerbo said : "Puwede naman din pero subject pa rin nga iyan kung ano ang magiging pleasure ng ating say sabihin nating ng ating Kongreso."
"We cannot simply disregard these laws and implement our own regulations na contrary doon sa tinatadhana ng batas," he said.