spot_img
28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

A roller-coaster ride

- Advertisement -

This week the controversial chief of the Philippine National Police, Ronald dela Rosa, ended his 20-month stint at the police force, which he described as a roller-coaster ride.

He was supposed to have retired in January but the President extended his term for another three months.

Dela Rosa is well-known for leading the administration’s anti-drug campaign, Oplan Double Barrel. The campaign has two aspects: Project Tokhang (lower barrel), where cops swept neighborhoods with known drug suspects and invited them to the station, and the self-explanatory Project High Value Target (upper barrel).

Filipinos and the international community would be quicker to recognize Project Tokhang. Stories of how cops performed their duties with excessive force, resulting in the deaths of thousands of suspects in poor communities, abound. The police however insist the killings were made in self-defense, because the suspects resisted arrest and opened fire at them.

- Advertisement -

The controversy generated by the anti-drug campaign has placed the PNP under constant scrutiny, something dela Rosa had always complained about. In fact, on several occasions, he cried unabashedly, saying they were being unfairly criticized when they were just doing their jobs.

Oscar Albayalde, formerly of the Metro Manila police unit, does not appear to be as given to theatrics as his immediate predecessor. He faces tough times nonetheless, if not tougher. Aside from dealing with the drug menace itself, he would also have to live with the perceptions created by dela Rosa’s leadership, for good or bad.

Both the drug menace and the campaign appear to be firmly in place. Where Albayalde can make his mark is in ensuring that the campaign comes with level-headedness and accountability, minus the fanfare and drama that dela Rosa was much too fond of.

We do not need any roller-coaster rides. There should be fewer swings between high and low – just slow but constant success in enforcing the law, upholding basic rights, bringing back the people’s trust in the police, and making homes and streets safe for ordinary Filipinos.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles