Please, not all cops with pending cases are rogues

Because of the spate of news reports on high-profile crimes allegedly committed by

police officers, calls have been sounded for a review of the list of cases filed against cops. We all know that we police officers are under different authorities that have disciplinary powers over us—from the People’s Law Enforcement Board to the mayor to the Internal Affairs Service (IAS), the National Police Commission (Napolcom), the Civil Service Commission and the Ombudsman, and to our own superiors. As to the purpose or benefits of having many disciplinary authorities with jurisdiction over us, this is still a subject of debate.

My concern, however, is with the way the public perceives and the media subliminally portray police officers with pending criminal and administrative cases. If I am not mistaken, the general perception of a cop with a pending case is a rogue cop. The perception deeply hurts and affects police officers facing harassment cases filed by suspects. I have many times seen police officers who have legally and vigorously operated against a suspect, only to soften on their stand later after the suspect filed harassment charges against them. Some cops even apologized to the suspect just so the latter would withdraw the criminal or administrative case he filed against them. A few made subtle moves for the dismissal of the case they filed against the suspect—all because they do not want to suffer the stigma brought about by the “pending case.”

Our office is handling many cases before the Napolcom, the IAS and the Ombudsman, but all of these are service-connected and purely harassment charges—against the police officers who have the guts and balls to enforce the law, despite the knowledge that they might be sued by the suspects and that they would have to spend their own money for the litigation of their cases; and that the legal imperfections in our quasi-judicial and judicial systems might somehow endanger their career. The cases

involving good cops most likely have been included in the “statistics on cops with

pending cases.”

Finally, Republic Act No. 9708 allows the promotion of police officers with pending

cases. The change is not without reason.

Before this law, a police officer with a pending case cannot be promoted. This led to demoralization among the members, especially among those who were facing service-connected cases, particularly those the resolution of which seemingly would take some time. Not only did it cause demoralization, it instilled some fear among us, leading to some reluctance to enforce the law, hence, greatly affecting our effectiveness. RA 9708 is, therefore, heaven-sent: It removes the stigma of a pending case and recognizes that not all cops with a pending case are corrupt.

I just hope that the public and the media do not peremptorily cast judgment on cops facing administrative and criminal cases. Many of them are modest, upright and hardworking public servants—the kind we earnestly want in our police force.

—REYNOLD B. VILLANIA,

police senior inspector,

legal officer, Police Regional Office 5,

Office of the Regional Legal Service,

Camp Gen. Simeon A. Ola, Legazpi City