Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas said Thursday he would like to leave the police force “disciplined” when he steps down after six months, as the organization is again mired in controversy following a cop’s brutal killing of unarmed civilians on Sunday.
Sinas, who drew public criticism for holding a mañanita for his birthday during Metro Manila’s strict lockdown, was appointed to the post in November and is set to retire in May.
“The most important thing is the policeman is disciplined and he knows his job… If he’s disciplined, abuse will lessen,” he told ANC’s Headstart when asked what mark he wants to leave when he retires from the PNP.
“Of course respect from the public will come after you show good deeds, good actions, good police operations… I want what I see in other countries, where policemen are respected because they do the right thing,” Sinas added.
Law enforcers are prone to violate the law as they are unaware of it, former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales had said, as she urged the government to fund the administration of justice and not just augment police resources.
The PNP will reinstate its anger management program after Police Staff Sgt. Jonel Nuezca shot dead his 2 unarmed neighbors in Tarlac last Sunday, Sinas said.
“Policemen should keep their cool even if the public are cursing at them,” he said.
“We should also focus on the mental health of not only the police but also the public. We’ve been quarantined for too long, this is part of the advise of our neuropsychologist so we can avoid a similar incident in the future,” the PNP chief added
The killing was a “very unfortunate incident,” Sinas said.
“What Nuezca did was very unfortunate, that made us all angry and sad. In spite of the series of reforms and programs we have, the President even hiked our salary and gave us assistance, there are still policemen who do this,” he said`