‘Interpretation problems’ blamed for poor implementation of PNP anti-crime policies

Lack of firearms and available manpower is not the only factor affecting the police force's implementation of its anti-criminality policies. “Interpretation problems” among ground commanders is another.

“There are some commanders who can easily understand the policy and what to do with it in just one reading,” said Chief Superintendent Ricardo Marquez on Tuesday. “But there are also some commanders who have interpretation problems.”

At a press briefing in Camp Crame, Marquez, the acting chief of the PNP Directorate for Operations, said misinterpretation of the directives issued by the national headquarters is mostly the reason for the poor implementation of the anti-criminality campaign on the ground.

To address this, Marquez said the PNP will disseminate to local police commanders nationwide a guide on how to properly implement anti-criminality policies.

“The documents that would be issued in the coming days, we will attach the guide on how a policy should be disseminated and cascaded down below so that there will be the same appreciation, interpretation of the persons who crafted the policy and the commanders who will implement that policy,” he said.

Marquez said most police commanders do not only find it difficult to interpret an order but also how to properly implement it.

Marquez said that for the past months, the PNP has been assessing how each anti-criminality policy issued by the central leadership is being implemented on the ground, adding that assessment teams were sent to regional offices and even to local police stations.

“We have been wondering on the past that we have very good policies being crafted, yet, the end results varies from one place to another,” he said, adding that most of the policies being implemented poorly concern crime prevention.

Marquez said the guide will make it clear to the regional directors what the end goal of each directive is, and how it should be implemented.

He added that the regional directors and provincial commanders, in turn, would localize the directive to make each of the directive fit to the situation in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Marquez said the PNP aims to intensify operations against street crimes, including cases of motorcycle riding-in-tandem and illegal drugs trade. — Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News