Right direction

You can see the difference in the way past PNP chiefs treat police officers involved in crime or corruption. One of them simply ordered them to do push-ups. One of them even praised the character of Sgt. Jonel Nuezca for voluntarily surrendering after mercilessly killing Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank Anthony. Current PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar is different. Gen. Eleazar confronted Police Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan who killed Lilybeth Valdez. An allegedly drunk Zinampan pulled Valdez by her hair and shot her in the neck killing her instantly. The whole horrible incident was captured on video.

Gen. Eleazar berated, grabbed Zinampan's shirt, pushed him against the wall, and scolded him harshly. I felt the good general wanted to do more but controlled himself. He later apologized for his actions saying his emotions got the best of him, showing frustration at the kind of crime Zinampan committed. He has nothing to apologize for. This is how the PNP should treat its scalawags, especially those who kill unarmed civilians for the most shallow and mundane reasons. Committing these crimes while intoxicated adds another layer of criminality if not stupidity. There is no reason for a police officer to pull a gun on an unarmed civilian especially while off-duty. The PNP should have a policy forbidding its officers to be in possession of a firearm while drinking. But it is a different PNP. Lots of arrogance all around. How many unarmed civilians have been killed by police officers under this administration?

There recently was an incident where a policeman allegedly committed suicide while drinking with two other policemen and a civilian driver. PCpl. Higinio Wayan allegedly fiddled with his gun and aimed it at himself when the gun went off. But after a thorough investigation into the incident, the civilian driver admitted Wayan was shot by PCpl. Sherwin Rebot after the latter lost in an arm-wrestling match with Wayan. Can there be a more shallow reason to kill a person? PCpl. Rebot was charged with murder while PCpl. Harold Mendoza and Lorenzo Lapay with murder by conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Cops killing cops. What's next?

Gen. Eleazar admits there is much to do by the PNP to clean up their ranks and change their image. Incidents like these erode the trust and image of the police in the eyes of the public. Gen. Eleazar is in the right direction, but his term as PNP chief ends this November when he reaches mandatory retirement. What changes can he make in that short time, and will they last after he is replaced?