EDITORIAL - Cops-turned-criminals

About two weeks ago, a rookie policeman arrested for rape indicated that this was the kalakaran or standard practice in dealing with crime suspects and their relatives in the Philippine National Police. The comment landed Police Officer 1 Eduardo Valencia in deeper manure with the PNP brass, who denied that rape was common in the police service.

The denials will have to be made more convincing after two more rookie cops were arrested last week on charges that they raped a 22-year-old woman they had apprehended for illegal gambling in Quezon City.

Police Officers 1 Jayson Portuguez and Severiano Montalban III of the city’s Station 4 in Novaliches allegedly raped their victim right inside a police patrol car. They then freed her but booked five other women rounded up together with the victim for illegal gambling.

If the accusations are true, the two cops must have been inspired by Valencia. The Manila policeman had allegedly raped his 15-year-old victim in exchange for the release of her parents, whom he had apprehended for drug offenses.

The only positive aspect in these sordid stories is that PNP officials lost no time in apprehending the accused rapists. Without bothering to wait for the determination of guilt by the courts, which could take two decades in this country, the suspects were also berated on national TV by their irate superior officers. It’s not due process, but the victims – and a significant segment of the population – undoubtedly welcomed the public scolding.

Even as PNP officials resort to public humiliation to meet the people’s yearning for swift justice, they should also intensify efforts to improve recruitment and discipline in the police force.

Only misogynists with no respect for their own mothers, sisters and daughters would enjoy rape. Those with such tendencies should be kept out of the PNP, starting at the recruitment stage.

The PNP must tighten its recruitment process. PNP applicants are required to undergo psychiatric examination, but there have been reports of bribes being paid for test results. Even when an applicant has genuinely hurdled the test, submitted all the requirements and undergone the requisite training, rookies must be closely monitored for any tendencies toward abusive behavior.

The PNP should also provide mental health services to all its members. Cops can seek such services voluntarily if they feel the need, or they can be required by their superiors to do so when they exhibit signs of mental instability.

The judiciary should do its part in curbing police abuses by speeding up the prosecution of cops-turned-criminals. Whether the offender is a cop or civilian, the certainty of punishment is the best deterrent to crime.