DELA ROSA PUSHES TO AMEND DISCIPLINARY POWERS OF CPNP, REITERATES CALL FOR REIMPOSITION OF DEATH PENALTY

Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa said there is a need to amend the governing law on the country's national police force and strengthen the disciplinary powers of its top official amid the recent killings in Tarlac province involving an off-duty police officer.

In an interview on Wednesday, Dela Rosa said that he will revisit Republic Act No. 8551 or the "Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998" for possible amendments to some of its provisions, especially those pertaining to the disciplinary powers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief.

"Legislative reform [ang] kailangan. We have to revisit RA 8551 talaga and strengthen the power, the disciplinary mechanism of the PNP, lalong lalo na yung chief PNP�kailangan talaga na magkakaroon ka ng isang Chief PNP na kumpleto ng power na madidisiplina yung kanyang tao."

The senator and former top cop said that compared to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the PNP Chief's powers in imposing disciplinary actions to his erring personnel need to be strengthened.

"I will try to revisit the RA 8551, yung PNP Reorganizational Act, hahanapin ko yung mga provisions dyan na naglagay sa Chief PNP sa inutil na sitwasyon. Compare mo yung AFP sa PNP, ibang-iba yung kanilang disciplinary mechanism dahil sa sundalo, pag military nagkakasala, pwede ikulong kaagad 'yan ng kanyang commander. Sa PNP, hindi mo pwede ikulong hangga't walang kaso," Dela Rosa said.

"Halimbawa, nagkasala ang pulis kagaya kay Nuezca, kitang-kita ang ebidensya na binaril in cold-blood yung dalawa. Dapat ang Chief PNP, makapagbigay kaagad ng order na dismissed kaagad yang pulis na yan, summary dismissal. Pero sa PNP, yung summary dismissal proceeding, according to the NAPOLCOM, should take 30 days for them to afford the suspect due process. Kailangan natin ang due process talaga, pero 'dyan nagda-drag eh," he added.

Dela Rosa mentioned that he will look into amending the appellate procedures of the police force, which he said some rogue cops, with the help of some ill-intentioned lawyers, use to stay on the force or get back after being dismissed. This, according to Dela Rosa, perpetuates the problem.

Dela Rosa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, has renewed calls to revive the death penalty in the country. He, as well as six other senators, filed separate bills which seek for its reimposition.

Dela Rosa expressed his frustration as well as the urgency of tackling the pending bills on Death Penalty, which were referred to the Committee on Justice and Human Rights headed by Senator Richard Gordon during the beginning of the 18th Congress in July of 2019.

"Dapat magkaroon na ng senate hearing doon sa mga bill na yun, dahil all those bills were filed at the start of the 18th Congress, so ilang taon na 'yan dyan, di pa umuusad. Wala pang nangyaring hearing�maybe, baka ayaw ng nasa committee na 'yan ng death penalty, but to think that there were seven of us senators ah, Senate President Tito Sotto, Senator Lacson, Senator Imee Marcos, Senator Bong Revilla, Senator Gatchalian, Senator Bong Go at ako. So, seven of us filed our separate versions of death penalty bills, and pag na-hear ito, sigurado akong iku-condisder 'yung kanilang version, plus [yung] akin na drug version, so magkakaroon yan ng substitute bill na ipe-present ng committee during the committee report," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa clarified that he does not intend to amend his bill to include heinous crimes as it is the main contention of the oppositors of the death penalty, but he believes that the hearings will open the discussion on the crimes to be considered for its implementation. His proposed death penalty bill only covers high level drug traffickers.

"Ayaw ko, I didn't want to include murder and other heinous crimes dahil nga 'yan yung contention ng mga oppositor, na pwedeng yung mga suspect dahil nga mahirap, hindi maka laban sa korte. Talo, so justice denied para sa kanila. Pero with that kind of incident, siguro ma-amend natin yun mga bill na yan na during the debates, baka pwedeng isaksak na pag ikaw ay isang pulis dahil aggravating circumstance yun eh, pulis ka, may chapa ka, may baril ka, at ikaw pa ang mag-engage sa cold-blooded killing, papatayin mo yung mga unarmed, helpless civilians so pwede siguro idagdag natin doon during the debates," Dela Rosa explained.

When asked on his thoughts in imposing the capital punishment on Police Master Sargeant Jonel Nuezca, who shot dead two unarmed civilians, 52-year-old Sonya Gregorio and her 25-year-old son Frank Anthony Gregorio, in Paniqui town over the weekend, Dela Rosa agreed.

"Yes, deep in my heart, alam ko dapat death penalty ang parusa sa kanya (Nuezca) dahil very cold-blooded killing yun, I don't see enough provocation on the part of the victims. Sobra-sobra yung ginawa niya," Dela Rosa noted.

Dela Rosa also said that the recent killing is most likely drug related and highlights the need to impose capital punishment on big time drug personalities.

"Tingnan mo yung background ni Nuezca, he was already charged for evading a drug testing, so meaning adik yung tao na yun! Bakit ka umiiwas sa drug testing kung hindi ka adik? Yung ganun na aksyon, sigurado ako apektado sa drugs yung utak ng tao na yun. Di man siya high that time, yung kanyang decision making apektado sa pagte-take niya ng droga so pasok pa rin sa bill ko dahil kung walang papasok na droga, walang pulis na ganun ka-sira ang ulo," Dela Rosa said.

The senator from Davao claimed that the incident involving Nuezca is an isolated case and does not reflect the entire PNP organization. "Gaya sa sinabi ni Secretary Año na isolated case yan, please do not judge the profession, judge the person. Kasi kung profession ang ija-judge mo, halimbawa point something percent lang yan [of the police population], mga siraulong pulis na yan. Karamihan ay gumagawa ng matino, kawawa naman madadamay yung buong organisasyon, 'di ba? Di lang naman drug suspects ang namatay, ang dami ding pulis na namatay, 'di ba?"

On the alleged culture of impunity, Dela Rosa stressed, "No, I don't believe that, ginagamit lang yan ng mga critics na gustong sirain yun gobyerno natin. Sige nga mag-interview ka dyan ng mga pulis kung sino pulis dyan na gustong pumatay? Wala naman pulis dyan na gustong pumatay."