VACC tells Marcos: It is about time to enforce iron fist on PH police | ABS-CBN

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VACC tells Marcos: It is about time to enforce iron fist on PH police

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

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Police officers attend the Simultaneous Oath-Taking and Donning of Ranks of 2nd Level Uniformed Personnel (PCpl-PMAJ) under the CY 2022 Regular Promotion program at the Manila Police District headquarters in Manila on January 10, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
Police officers attend the Simultaneous Oath-Taking and Donning of Ranks of 2nd Level Uniformed Personnel (PCpl-PMAJ) under the CY 2022 Regular Promotion program at the Manila Police District headquarters in Manila on January 10, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Saturday urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to enforce an iron fist on the national police amid cases of impunity and possible brutality, hoping this would create a "fear factor" among cops.

VACC President Arsenio "Boy" Evangelista lamented that cops were involved in drugs cases and other crimes, saying they were able to "reclaim the streets" of Manila.

Evangelista also issued the statement after 6 cops killed a 17-year-old in Navotas City earlier this month in an apparent case of mistaken identity. The Philippine National Police already vowed there would be no whitewashing of the case as the police personnel involved undergo investigation.

"May pag-asa pa ba? Noong time ni [former President Rodrigo] Duterte, nakita natin na yung mga yan medyo tumino talaga yan, kung hindi man tumino, natakot. Nandoon yung climate of fear among the uniformed personnel," said Evangelista over Radyo 630 on Saturday.

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"Siguro it is about time that BBM should [be] hands on from time-to-time or most of the time, he should be visible on national TV, kamay na bakal, matinding mensahe tungkol dito sa kapulisan," he added.

It also seemed that there were more corrupt policemen than those with moral high ground, said the VACC chief.

This was why Evangelista hoped that cops would undergo moral evaluation and anger management training regularly or quarterly.

"Pag sinabi nilang isolated case, hindi katanggap-tanggap yan sa isang biktima kamukha nitong magulang ng 17 year old. The middle of the wake naglalamay ka tapos sabihin mo 'isolated'? Parang malaking sampal ito sa mga biktima," he said.

"Sana yung moral evaluation and spiritual side. Ilapit sila sa simbahan, magkaroon sila ng theology classes. Yung fear of God, ma-incorporate sa kanila," he said.

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NOT THE FIRST TIME

This was not the first time that sectors and officials urged Marcos to be more angry when people from his government show lapses in their duty.

Earlier this year, Rep. Joey Salceda said he wanted Marcos Jr to be "more mean" to government officials who partly contributed to the high prices of onions due to their shortcomings.

"Mabait masyado, e," he had said, referring to Marcos Jr. "In his persona — forget of course the politics and everything — eh mukhang mas dilawan pa kay PNoy [former President Noynoy Aquino] ito eh."

Aries Arugay, chairperson of the UP Diliman's Political Science department, said the President should show firmness in his leadership.

"I mean the mere fact that President Marcos is not putting his foot strongly on certain issues, somehow gives an idea that his leadership is not as strict, not as firm, not quite the strongman that he has been portrayed in his [campaign narratives]" the analyst told ABS-CBN News in an interview last June.

Marcos, Arugay noted, seemed to give "more reign on members of his coalition rather than imposing some form of disciplinary control."

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"President Marcos is nicer in a sense that you don't catch him disciplining... hindi siya nanenermon, hindi siya nagagalit. In Philippine politics if you have that kind of president, you can be easily abused," he said.

ABS-CBN News has sought the comment of Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil on this matter, but she has yet to respond as of this story's posting.

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