Focus on teen killings may incite rebellion, says Bato

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa questioned the media's focus on Kian delos Santos and other teen killings, saying it might incite the public to rebel against the police.

"Bakit kay Kian pabalik-balik? Parang ina-arouse niyo yung sentimento ng taumbayan na magrebelde kayo against the people dahil masama yung ginagawa ng police. Pabalik-balik," Dela Rosa said at Camp Bagong Diwa on Monday.

Dela Rosa also expressed dismay at the supposed failure to give losses among the police the same coverage as that of extrajudicial killings.

"Hindi binabalita yung positive namin, [o] pagka yung pulis na sinaksak sa Caloocan, hindi masyado kino-cover pero yung kay Kian pabalik-balik, halos buong gabi na lang news ninyo. What's behind it?" he said.

Dela Rosa added, in a later interview, "Parang ini-incite niyo yung taumbayan na magalit sa pulis, magalit sa gobyerno. Parang ganun."

'Lahat naka-monitor'

Dela Rosa also reminded officers to be more careful as the possibility of being filmed, whether by smartphones or CCTV, is much greater now, and that the media will "blow up" footage portraying police negatively.

"Totoo yan. Hindi naman ako plastic. Magbantay kayo, kaso abutin niyo diyan kapag hindi kayo mag-ayos sa trabaho ninyo dahil lahat naka-monitor: mga CCTV, mga smartphone ng lahat ng tao," he explained in a later interview.

"Mabo-blow up talaga yan. 'Di ba ginagawa 'yan ngayon? Yung kay Kian, pabalik-balik, halos araw-araw, 'yun ang news," he continued.

The police chief said he was not questioning the function of the media, but said they are taking heat from reports.

"Hindi ko kinekwestyon kayo, trabaho niyo yan eh, in search for truth, in search for whatever. Trabaho niyo yan. Kung sa akin yan, lalabas ko yung aking—kasi kami ang natatamaan," Dela Rosa said.

'Battle of perception'

Dela Rosa said police must improve its response to win this "battle of perception" against various groups supposedly attempting a "demolition" of their public image.

Reporting more frequently on the toll the war on drugs is taking on police would also give the public more information to form balanced opinions, he said.

"Kulang talaga 'yung kanilang opinion. We have to improve our job," he said. "That is survey naman, that is public opinion. This is a battle of perception. Kailangan mananalo kami sa battle na ito."

"Yung mga demolition na ginagawa sa amin ngayon, baka iba pa 'to, i-instigate," Dela Rosa added. "Please take note, marami rin kaming namatay, 285, yung wounded namin napakarami. That is statistics, that is not perception, that is not survey."

The police chief was present during the opening of the retraining program for the  entire Caloocan police force, who were sacked in September and were initially announced to undergo retraining for 45-days.

In addition to a controversial raid on a house without a search warrant, the recent killings of teenagers Kian delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz further put the Caloocan police in a negative light. — BM, GMA News