Senator Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday lamented the lack of legal protection for policemen, especially anti-drug operatives, who face criminal lawsuits while carrying out law enforcement operations.
Speaking at the graduation of the second batch of trainees who completed the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Officers Training Course in Manila, Ejercito cited the need for the government to provide legal assistance to police officers who are always at risk of being accused of abuse and purported human rights violations while performing their duties.
“For example, police officers would catch drug pushers, only to be charged later on by these big-time pushers who are well-connected and has the financial means to hire lawyers. Then what? Our poor policemen are suspended, and sometimes dismissed, unable to fight back in court because they do not have legal protection,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito was in the DARE Officers Training Course, as he congratulated the 36 policemen and soldiers who completed the course.
“’Yan po ang nangyayari. That’s the sad reality that our law enforcers are facing. Hopefully this time around, we will be able to address those problems,” he added.
“In behalf of the Senate, we would like to thank you for training our law enforcers here in the past weeks. Rest assured, to the Philippine DARE Foundation, that we will work together hand in hand,” the senator added.
Ejercito’s father, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, thanked a team of DARE America instructors who came to Manila to train local policemen and soldiers in teaching the anti-drug education program to elementary school students.
“I’ll be forever grateful to you for traveling thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, not only me, and also the people of Manila and our Board of Directors of DARE to train Filipinos to become DARE officers,” Estrada told Scott Gilliam, the Director for Training of DARE America.
Originally from the US, DARE is a classroom instruction program that taps active duty police officers to teach Grades 5 and 6 students good decision-making skills that would keep them away from drugs and other vices.
Early this month, the first batch of 72 policemen and soldiers graduated from the 80-hour DOT. They are members of the Manila Police District (MPD), Pasay City police, and from other regional police offices nationwide.