EDITORIAL - Yet another black eye to the image of the police

In a little-known case that has gained attention nationwide, a teenager was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, last Thursday.

The twist? The two now being held responsible for the murder of a 15-year-old girl are Ilocos Sur policemen who were earlier accused of molesting the murder victim and raping her cousin.

According to reports, the teenager was on her way home after having just reported the crime to the police station when she was shot and killed. Now the two policemen are being held responsible for her death.

Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa said he wants "the stiffest penalty for the two policemen."

"They are not men in uniform but animals who deserve to be jailed for life. Walang awa, walang puso, walang kwentang pulis," he said.

However, let’s not get ahead of the investigation, we always have to presume someone is innocent until proven guilty and the case is now in court.

With that said, there is no doubt that this is another incident that will put the police in a bad light.

There seems to be no let-up when it comes to how some policemen are damaging the image of the entire organization.

For one, there was that high-ranking official who celebrated his birthday party amid the quarantine lockdown.

Not too long ago there was the killing of former soldier Winston Ragos in Quezon City. According to the National Bureau of Investigation, the policemen planted evidence at the crime scene. They have charged a policeman with murder over the incident.

Then there was the misencounter between the policemen and soldiers in Jolo, where the AFP said the policemen just fired at the soldiers without provocation.

Let us not forget the recent incident where policemen made an elderly woman walk several kilometers under the sun to punish her for allegedly leaving her house with an invalid quarantine pass.

Of course, we know there are many good and honest policemen out there. Those who work hard to uphold a good image of the PNP. However, the sad fact is that a few rotten apples do tend to spoil the entire barrel.

There are so many things that the PNP has to do to repair its image, they can start by doing their part to ensure that justice prevails in this latest case.