THE country’s top cop gave the assurance that if ever there are operational lapses committed by policemen during anti-criminality operations, these are not ignored or disregarded by the Philippine National Police (PNP) but promptly addressed.
PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar gave the assurance following the death of 16-year-old Johndy Maglinte in Laguna last week. Maglinte and drug suspect Antonio Dalit, who is the subject of an arrest warrant, were killed when they allegedly tried to resist arrest.
The incident is under investigation as Maglinte’s family claimed that Maglinte and Dalit were executed by police operatives.
The Internal Affairs Service, a fact-finding task group of the Police Regional Office 4-A, and the Commission on Human Rights, are conducting independent investigations regarding the incident.
PGen Eleazar pointed out that whenever there are claims of irregularities in police operations, these are investigated so operational lapses could be corrected if proven to be true.
“Hindi po natin binabalewala ang mga alegasyon ng lapses sa operasyon ng ating mga pulis. Kaya nga po natin ito iniimbestigahan ay para agad maitama, sakaling may lapses na makita, para hindi na maulit pa,” the PNP Chief said.
“We constantly review our protocols to check if these still fit the kind of setting we have today or if there are adjustments or changes that need to be made,” he added.
The PNP Chief explained that whenever there are allegations of irregularity, it helps them to improve and be better public servants, and rid the PNP ranks of rogues who are unfit to wear the uniform.
He said that it is both the PNP and the public that will suffer if operational lapses are just ignored and are not promptly addressed.
This is also the reason, according to him, why thousands of policemen were dismissed from the service and punished as part of the disciplinary measures on the part of those who committed grave abuses.
Based on PNP data, a total of 18,664 were penalized for various offenses since 2016, a total of 5,151 of them were dismissed from the service.
“Kaya nga po makaaasa ang publiko na hindi kinukunsinti o kukunsintihin ng PNP ang mga pagkakamali dahil hindi dapat pinapandigan ang mali at sa halip ay kailangang itama upang hindi na pamarisan pa,” said PGen. Eleazar.