Effective supervision will prevent proliferation of errant cops —Eleazar

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar believes that proper and effective supervision is the solution to abating the proliferation of errant police officers, especially those belonging to the lower ranks.

Eleazar made the remark amid the recent incidents involving cops with the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1), ranging from use of dangerous drugs to even rape.

"Ang nakikita ko pa rin [na solusyon] diyan ay 'yung ating effective supervision. Ako ay naniniwala na ang PO1 ay magdadalawang-isip gumawa ng kalokohan 'yan kung alam niya na he will not be tolerated by his commanders," Eleazar told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview on Sunday.

Last week, a PO1 from the Manila Police District (MPD) was caught using cocaine inside a restroom in a high-end club in Taguig, an incident which caused Anti-Crime Unit Chief Police Chief Inspector Manny Israel, chief of MPD Station 1, to be relieved from his post.

Days later, authorities also arrested PO1 Alexander Ilagan after three sachets of suspected shabu were recovered from him.

Meanwhile, PO1 Edgardo Valencia has been relieved from his duties after he was accused of raping a 15-year-old daughter of suspected drug pushers, saying that the act is nothing new to police operations.

Eleazar admitted that some police officers have been involved in the illegal drug trade because their acts slipped past the eye of their higher ups.

"Admittedly talagang may mga kasamahan tayo na na-involve sa proteksyon sa ilegal na droga pati na rin 'yung pagsasagawa ng mga bagay na hindi tama. At nakita natin 'yan dahil in a way na-tolerate ng mga commanders nila. At 'yun ang ating binabago," he said.

"Wala na tayong dapat baguhin sa mga naisip na programa. Of course, we can always improve this pero ang kailangan natin ay effectively supervised so that we can implement itong mga bagay na inisip natin at pinaplano natin," he added.

Aside from this, the Philippine National Police has also implemented measures to make its recruitment process more stringent, Eleazar said.

This include the implementation of a barcoding procedure so that applicants will be screened only through their qualities and character, not through their family background, to prevent the "padrino" system.

"Mas pinaigting natin ang pagsasagawa ng monitoring kasi kung sa simula pa lamang ay may problema na 'yung ating iha-hire, might as well huwag na natin silang i-consider," Eleazar said.

"Maraming aplikante, mas marami tayong pagpipilian. Bakit naman tayo magse-settle sa may problema? Piliin natin 'yung talagang most qualified na papasok dito," he added.

Eleazar said that with proper intervention, the recruitment process of the PNP can always be improved. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News