Last week we were told that the Philippine National Police is discouraging public displays of affection, including holding hands, to curb the spread of COVID-19.
This reminds us of that silly regulation last year that prohibited couples—even those living in the same house—from riding in pillion, supposedly to stop the viral transmission. Eventually, policymakers came to their senses and did away with the rule—but not before numerous pairs riding together to get to work and earn a living were flagged for their “violation.”
These are our thoughts as we mark the first anniversary of the start of the lockdowns this week—coincidentally, the start also of a two-week curfew across the National Capital Region to address the surge of new cases, one year hence. Authorities say the past few days’ higher count is the result of more transmissible variants of the virus and the failure of many to observe health protocols. We would like to add to the reasons a snail-paced vaccination drive, the lack of transparency and strategic thinking among our leaders, the misplaced priorities of those whose job it is to keep order amid this protracted health crisis, and the sense of entitlement among those who believe they are subject to different regulations as the rest of us.
For example, we were aghast at the audacity of the Chief Intelligence Officer of Calbayog City in Samar province, who asked the city’s clerk of court for the list of lawyers representing supposed communist-terrorist groups. Police Lt. Fernando Calabria Jr. claimed this was in compliance with the order of “PNP higher offices.” He even took the trouble of guiding the recipient of his letter by providing a blank table that should contain—aside from the name of the lawyer, his or her affiliations and his or her client, case and status—a column for “Mode of Neutralization.”
Calabria said he needed to submit a comprehensive report on the communist insurgency situation in his area of responsibility.
The Officer-in-Charge of the PNP, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar sacked Calabria and distanced the PNP from the letter. The request, Eleazar said, was unprofessional, irresponsible, and not sanctioned by PNP top brass. We welcome this move by Eleazar, but still wonder whether Calabria was just overzealous or misinterpreted what his superiors really wanted.
Then again, the top brass is never faultless. Over the weekend we learned that PNP Chief Debold Sinas—now in isolation for COVID-19 in Camp Crame, which is the reason Eleazar is temporarily at the helm of the Police—skipped health screening when he went to Oriental Mindoro last week. The health checks were being done at a Calapan pier but Sinas, who arrived on board a helicopter, immediately proceeded to the regional headquarters, according to a statement by the provincial government.
We remember very clearly how Sinas tried to wiggle out of his responsibility for a well-documented birthday bash—in violation of quarantine rules—that his staff threw for him in May 2020, when he was still Metro Manila police chief. The gods have been kind to Sinas, who not only went unpunished, but was in fact promoted to the top post at the PNP. No wonder he is partying like it was 2020.
We have seen enough lapses and excesses on the part of the police, whether top brass or provincial officers. Alas, we have difficulty believing they have our best interests in mind. Actions such as the prohibition of displays of affection—something already covered by the general admonition to observe heath protocols—are awkward and silly, but the boldness to “request” a list of lawyers representing certain individuals or groups, and to habitually flout health protocols are both dangerous and disgusting.
Pandemic or no, we need public servants—police officers included —who truly serve the people and do not brandish their stupidity at best, and their arrogance at worst.