WE wonder how thorough did Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ben Hur Abalos, Jr. study the possible implications of his call for the submission of courtesy resignations of Generals and Colonels in the Philippine National Police (PNP)?
Did he also consult his move with the President and other offices in the Palace or even in his department providing legal advice despite being a lawyer himself?
We are raising these questions because his call, while worthy of intention may not be able to achieve its objective to the letter. It could even rock the entire foundation of the police organization. To quote a friend who is one among the ranks called to tender their courtesy resignation, Abalos’ order is “putting everyone in the PNP with those ranks suspect of involvement in illegal drugs trade.”
And considering that the number of those who belong to the officers’ level which is about a
thousand, how long will it take for the 5-man committee to study their records in order to either reject
their courtesy quitting or accept the resignation? For certain, if the evaluation of the records or review
of cases against those with pending charges, is to be done in the most judicious and objective manner, it
will take not just a month, or two, or three or even half a year. In the meantime the commands or units
temporarily left vacant by the ‘resigned,’ will have to be taken over by lower officers like Lieutenant
Colonels and Majors.
It is here that the “What if…” questions start to come into play. What if in reality those who are
actually involved in the illegal drugs trade are those appointed to serve as Officers-in-Charge? What if
those who will compose the 5-man body will not be impartial as wished for and become subservient to
the interest of friends or relatives in the police service? After all there is no doubt that their authority as
members may have given them a lot of leg rooms to maneuver according to their own prejudices.
Of course our source at the PNP national command told us that those Generals and Colonels who
have immediately followed the example of their superior General Azurin who was the first to tender his
“courtesy resignation”, are in agreement that for those who have done no wrong among them there is
nothing to be afraid of in the process. They’ll surely pass through it.
However they were also in accord that the Abalos order has in a big way, tarnished their reputation
and could destroy their career which they have built for as long as thirty six (36) years.
But our source considers as the most critical of all “What if…” questions is, What if rumors about a
number of Generals and Colonels cooking the idea of resigning in-mass are true? Who will fill the
sudden vacuum and how will it be done? Will not the PNP be in chaos and its campaign against
criminality more specifically the illegal drugs trade further jeopardized?
But personally we agree with the thought that the DILG boss man may have adopted the “courtesy
resignation” scheme to ensure the easiest and fastest way of doing away with policemen scumbags
without too much haggling with the country’s often complicated legal system.
We all know that even if any of the Generals or Colonels is positively identified to be having
connections with drug syndicates, or involved in some other crimes, the burden of proving the accused’s
guilt lies on the government – the accuser. The accused’s responsibility of proving that he or she is not
guilty only becomes consequential in the process of the accuser’s proving his/her guilt. And this is the
hardest for those tasked to prosecute since any accused has to be proven “beyond reasonable doubt” of
the crime allegedly committed.
And in cases of policemen working with or for the illegal drugs traders, they surely have their backs
fully covered by the money of their “sideline” employers.
Therefore, the DILG Secretary must have thought of the novel way of skipping the tedious
prosecution process by just having those believed to be on top of those in the employ of drug syndicates
resign even if on courtesy basis and there goes the fastest way of kicking them out from the service.
Of course as expected, demoralization in the ranks is not far behind the Abalos order and it is on how
the DILG chief can be on top of the situation if the unexpected happens.
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We were taken aback with the social media conversation between our media colleague editor and
publisher Serafin “Jun” Ledesma and a businessman-friend Conrado “Jun” Hernaez.
Jun Ledesma posted his surprise on reports coming to his attention that these days it takes some six
months or over to process the titling of land at the Register of Deeds. According to Ledesma the last
time he had a lot titled it took him only a week or two. So the six-month period was to him very unusual
and must be the norm practiced in that office since the completion of his transaction.
The other Jun, the DCCCI I I guy, was immediate in his reply affirming Jun Ledesma’s gathered
information.
Well, based on our experience and the experiences of some of our friends the length of time in
processing in that office is variable. If one has the connection, or the money for “greasing” the
processing could even approximate the speed of lightning.
Very much the same way as it is in some other national agencies in the city.
