CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Various sectors in the region are now questioning the capability of the leadership of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera to effectively and efficiently implement the internal cleansing of their ranks when some of the members of the command group are allegedly coddling a police officer with a derogatory record on illegal drugs.
Sources from outside units claimed the integrity and credibility of the PRO-COR leadership has been affected after they learned that some members of the command group are allegedly coddling a police officer suspected to have been involved In illegal drugs in the past.
The police officer was allegedly reassigned to Mindanao at the height of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign but they were surprised to know that the said police officer is now a staff of the command group member, who had been previously boasting about his unblemished credentials, and eventually ended up coddling a police officer with derogatory record on drugs.
“Our colleagues in various units of PRO-COR who are being suspected to be providing vital information to the media are now being continuously harassed and threatened to be transferred outside the Cordillera. We pity our colleagues because they are victims of the arrogance and grave abuse of authority by their superiors who want them to succumb to their whims and caprices,” the sources stressed.
The sources added with the recent developments inside the regional headquarters, members of the command group have lost their moral ascendancy over their personnel for allegedly coddling a police officer reportedly involved in illegal drugs and continuously justifying their wrongful act by protecting their driver and security aide involved in the violation of the Baguio City Number coding Scheme.
The sources pointed out the PRO-COR leadership seems to be insensitive on the criticism being hurled against them for being protectors of erring law enforcers who are close to them and even going to the extent of publicly defending their wrongful acts without reason.
The sources claimed regional police officials should not pass the blame to the uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who they suspect as those providing key information to the media for the sagging image of the police force because they should first look back at their actions and reflect from the same since it was their wrongful act that was the root cause of the public outrage against them.
According to them, police officials are now going to the extent of using public gatherings inside the regional headquarters to try to elicit reactions among uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who they suspect as the ones providing the media with information on what is happening inside the camp but such act seems not to work to their advantage as the policemen are allegedly laughing at the backs of their heads for such desperate actions by their superiors.
The sources said the demoralization onside the regional headquarters is inevitable because ordinary policemen are being imposed penalties for their simple violations but their close aides who commit grave offenses are instead being rewarded and spared from the filing of the appropriate charges against them.
By HENT