“The PNP leadership must remember that uniformed services like the Police will not be able to perform effective service if morale is low or nonexistent”
LAST week, Police Brig. Gen. Aligre L. Martinez was relieved from his post as Police Director of Region 11 Headquartered in Davao City.
The relief was apparently related to the way the Police tried to serve the warrant of arrest on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Martinez was not the only one relieved. Included were scores of other PNP personnel of various ranks which included the PNP Director for Operations Maj. Gen. Ronald Oliver Lee.
These appear to be because former PRRD criticized the serving of the arrest warrant as an overkill.
Having watched some TV footages of the operation and read the available written accounts, the operation contrary to what critics said was conducted properly, resulting in no violence that would have gotten people hurt.
It is the PNP response to the criticisms that is in fact the overkill.
What did Camp Crame expect FPRRD to say?
He is, after all, an ardent loyal friend and supporter of Pastor Quiboloy. He is also the appointed administrator of the Pastor’s properties.
I hope the PNP people in Camp Crame are not simply politicking.
Have they forgotten Mamasapano?
That operation which resulted in the death of all the PNP personnel involved except one who escaped before the firefight was severely criticized because of poor planning and inadequate number of personnel used for the operation.
Charges were even filed against individuals.
Now, Camp Crame is saying the plan they prepared themselves is an overkill? And what lapses is the PNP Spokesperson talking about?
How exactly did Camp Crame want the operation to have been conducted?
The worst thing the PNP leadership can do is to turn their backs on those relieved personnel due to the criticism of former PRRD?
It seems it is Camp Crame that is getting confused.
PNP Region 11 simply implemented the Camp Crame plan.
If there was no show of force and an inadequate number of personnel were sent and overwhelmed by the zealous followers of the son of god, they would be licking their wounds now.
What the personnel who participated in the operation need right now is the backing of their superiors instead of relief which will now negatively affect their service records.
It also sets a very bad precedent to future missions.
More importantly, this action by Camp Crame has now impacted the morale of the entire PNP rank and file.
Who would want to participate in future police operations and give his or her best if what one gets is relief?
The PNP leadership must remember that uniformed services like the Police will not be able to perform effective service if morale is low or nonexistent.
If that operation was conducted in the National Capital Region the show of force might have been indeed excessive.
But the operation was in Mindanao whose operational environment is entirely different.
There, one must prepare for the worst because the situation can turn for the worst at any time.
Sending the usual team of two or three people to serve the arrest warrant would have been foolhardy because of the fanatical supporters of Pastor Quiboloy who were prepared to do anything to protect their leader.
Even with all the force sent by the PNP, there were minor scuffles which fortunately did not become violent.
By all accounts, therefore, the operation was a success.
It is the reaction of the PNP national leadership to the criticism of former PRRD that is perhaps the problem.
When a routine government activity is mixed with politics, the issue becomes problematic.
In fact, I have learned the scuttlebutt now circulating among senior officers is the relief was indeed a reaction to the comment of former PRRD.
Whether that is true or not, the PNP has now a bigger problem in its hands because once the rank and file loses confidence in their leaders, the operational efficiency of the organization is affected.
Yes, the leadership can continue issuing orders but the respect and belief in their leaders will have to be regained.
Camp Crame should also explain why it finds it necessary to react every time FPRRD does one of his Psywar tactics.
Such action simply shows lack of confidence.
