MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he could “almost feel” the frustrations of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, over the increase in the number of killings of minors.
“I can almost feel yung kaniyang frustrations in the advent of all the issues confronting the PNP like Kian, Carl, and Kulot (I can almost feel his frustrations in the advent of all the issues confronting the PNP like Kian, Carl, and Kulot),” Lacson said in an ambush interview. “Nakaka-frustrate being head of PNP (It’s frustrating being head of PNP).”
Lacson made this remark reacting to the recent outburst of Dela Rosa where he called critics of the PNP drug war as “ingrates.”
The senator, a former PNP chief, said that he could relate because he has been in the same place.
He said that although he does not agree with the way Dela Rosa lashed out at critics, Lacson said he would rather extend his understanding on why he acted as such.
“I can relate kasi nangyari na rin sa akin na may mga issues na kino-confront ang institution. I’d rather extend my understanding kung bakit ganun yung naging reaction (I can relate because it also happened to me. I’d rather extend my understanding why he acted the way he did),” Lacson said.
Appeal to the Church
Lacson, meanwhile, asked the Catholic Church to identify and provide details on police officers who reportedly wanted to testify against extrajudicial killings.
He made this call after Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) outgoing president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas bared that there were cops who sought the protection of the church as they do not trust their own institution.
“We are issuing an invitation to the church na kung pwede mag-provide sila ng detalye, sino ba yung mga pulis na yan, ano ba sinasabi nila, kung merong affidavits, i-forward kung hindi man sa amin sa ibang institutions (We are issuing an invitation to the church if they can provide details and tell us who those cops are, what they are saying, and if they have affidavits),” Lacson said.
The senator said that if there are too many cops running to the church for protection, the Senate could provide them legislative immunity and even protection.
“Kung marami talaga (If there are really too many) we can always hold an executive session and in confidence, they can bring them to us and we will not shy away from our mandated task to conduct an investigation,” Lacson pointed out.
“Pwede bigyan (We can give them) ng legislative immunity para hindi magamit yung ite-testify nila (so their testimony cannot be used) against them. We would give them all the protection that they would need and legal cover,” he added. (PNA)
