Press Release
November 26, 2021

Reprimand police commander of cop involved in indiscriminate firing - Dela Rosa

SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa proposed that in the event that indiscriminate firing occurs involving a cop, aside from the violator and his or her immediate supervisor, the police commander of the area of the incident must also be reprimanded.

Dela Rosa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, made the suggestion as an administrative policy to the newly-installed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Police General Dionardo Carlos, during the public hearing on Wednesday on Senate Bill No. 1531 and House Bill No. 6123, which both seek to impose stiffer penalties for indiscriminate firing and discharge of firearms.

?Currently, the administrative policy of the PNP is to immediately relieve just the police officer who committed indiscriminate firing of firearm and firearm discharge and his or her immediate supervisor.

"Siguro mas maganda, isang pulis nagpaputok... ang 'tatamaan' dito is dalawa, 'yung kanyang immediate supervisor at tsaka 'yung commander noong area kung saan siya nagpaputok. Mas maganda 'yun," he said.

Carlos welcomed the suggestion and told Dela Rosa, "Yes sir, that can be done."

"About indiscriminate firing, 'yung area commander doon, 'yung chief of police nuong municipality kung saan siya (violator) nagpaputok, ibig sabihin hindi sila nagpapatrolya. 'Yung chief of police, hindi sila nag-implement ng, 'yung policy natin na maximum deployment... Pero kung nahuli nila ('yung violator), ibang usapan naman 'yun, di ba? 'Pag nagpaputok tapos nahuli nila, nahuli nuong area commander, ibang usapan 'yun. Pero 'pag hindi nahuli, ibig sabihin pabaya sila. Parang ganun na administrative policies natin," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa, a former chief of the PNP, even recalled an ?incident in December of last year when an off-duty policeman assigned in the National Capital Region Police Office shot and killed a mother and her son in Tarlac.

Carlos also said the PNP is still implementing the practice Dela Rosa initiated when he was the PNP chief of deploying more police personnel from the headquarters to police stations that have jurisdiction over the communities in the provinces where they will spend the holiday season.

"This brings the number of our policemen, the bigger number of our policemen on the streets... Send them to their provinces, or their communities, but they will be performing their duties as police officers. Hitting two birds with one stone, they are with their families but at the same time they are serving the communities," Carlos said.

"Napakaganda po, dapat i-institutionalize n'yo 'yung practice na 'yun, plus with this proposed measure [Senate Bill No. 1531], mas lalong matatakot 'yung mga gun holder na gumawa ng indiscriminate firing. So I suggest i-continue n'yo 'yun dahil it's really an amazing feat na [Christmas and New year celebration] 2017 na zero tayo, zero injuries, zero death, at zero indiscriminate firing incident," Dela Rosa said.

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