Palace tells public: Refrain from generalizing that all cops are bad

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday urged the public to refrain from making generalizations about the Philippine National Police, after one of its officers shot dead an unarmed woman and her son, which sparked calls for an end to the alleged brutality and impunity of authorities.

"Napakalaki po ng ating Philippine National Police. By and large, respetado po sila dahil talagang buhay ang kanilang kapital sa kanilang trabaho," said President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque.

"'Wag naman natin sila lahatin," he said in an online press briefing.

(The Philippine National Police is a large organization. By and large, they are respected because their life is their capital in their work. Let us not generalize them.)

"Less than 5 percent" of the PNP's 221,000-strong force had committed violations, PNP spokesman Police Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said earlier on Tuesday.

From July 2016 to December 16, 2020, the PNP meted out the following punishments to 16,839 personnel, said Roque:

• 4,784 dismissals from service
• 890 demotions
• 8,349 suspensions
• 658 salary forfeiture
• 1,803 reprimands
• 129 restrictions
• 226 withholding of privileges

The government will study how to tighten the PNP recruitment service to prevent a repeat of the killing in Tarlac, he said.

Police Senior Master Sgt. Jonel Nuezca shot his neighbors in front of his daughter after an alleged altercation over the use of an improvised canon on Sunday in Paniqui town. The incident was caught on video and posted online, drawing public outrage.

"It takes only one of you to destroy the reputation and integrity of the institution," Roque reminded police officers.

• Refuting PNP, CHR says Tarlac slay involving cop no isolated case

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