‘Judgment lapse’ old excuse

This refers to the report titled “Chief of ’cracker-grabbing Quezon City  cops admits lapse in judgment” (Inquirer, 01/04/13).

It makes you wonder what the police, Quezon City cops in particular, would do if they were presented with more expensive confiscated items like shabu or guns in the privacy and seclusion of their headquarters. But wonder no more, you only have to ask yourselves why the Philippine National Police cannot stop the proliferation of shabu and loose firearms in the country.

The lack of discipline and corruption in the police has long been lamented, but nothing drastic or systematic is being proposed to get rid of the scalawags. Everybody knows that as soon as media attention turns to another scandal, the investigation of the QC policemen will also grind to a halt as with hundreds of cases. Even the National Police Commission appears to be protecting rogue policemen; it sits on cases involving offenses far graver than grabbing firecrackers. I bet, if this was not shown on national TV, the case would have been considered another routine “police operation.”

The severe lack of leadership in the field, which is observable when you visit a precinct, is appalling. As you enter a police station in the city, you see policemen not in uniform, smoking and laughing boisterously at childish pranks, using crude language.

We have heard so many horror stories about the ordinary Filipino being more cautious with his “protector” than with motorcycle tandems. And wonder no more if cops seem not to care that in this age of smartphones, everything they do can now be documented. They can always justify all these as “lapse in judgment.”

I hope and earnestly pray that newly appointed PNP Chief Alan Purisima gives justice to his premature appointment by addressing these issues once and for all. Let us all pray for him. He will need everyone’s support in restoring integrity in the PNP.

—JOSE ALLAN I. ARELLANO,

allan.arellano@ceap.org.ph