FIRST OF all, we, the members of Bantay-Bayan Foundation Inc., congratulate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for the mandate he has been given as the next president of the Republic of the Philippines. Our people have spoken and we respect their choice.
We are writing this letter for one simple reason: to remind President-elect Duterte of his promise to be a different leader, different from all the other leaders before him.
As an anticrime organization, Bantay-Bayan is deeply concerned with our Philippine National Police and its image. The PNP has been the butt of numerous jokes, cruel jokes at that! For example, it is said that our policemen are the fastest to get to crime scenes. Yes, and it is because in most of these crimes policemen are involved.
Yes, thousands of young men and women have just been recruited to the police force, but even the system of recruitment is corrupt. Has President-elect Duterte seen these new recruits patrol the streets? Most of them are busy with their cell phones. They are not watching the crowd. They are enjoying their walk as if they are in the park.
Mr. President, let us have a PNP chief who is not only honest but who also knows the requirements needed to be a good police officer. Even in the recruitment stage, graft and corruption is still the norm. Make sure that the
PNP chief you appoint is clean and honest and, most of all, knows his job.
Appointing the right PNP chief will be a good start for your administration, Mr. President.
More power to you and may God bless us all!
—JULIANO JELLY NACINO, general counsel, ARIEL JOSEPH B. ARIAS, chair/CEO, Bantay-Bayan Foundation Inc., Metroview SVN Building, Quirino Avenue cor. San Antonio Street, Malate, Manila