PNP CHIEF Gen. Nicolas Torre III has ordered the reduction of the daily duty period of policemen in Metro Manila and other urban areas to eight hours, from 12 hours, to improve the quality of their work.
“It starts now,” Torre told reporters in an ambush interview at Camp Crame yesterday, just two days after he took the helm of the PNP from now-retired Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil.
Torre said the police’s 12-hour shift compromised the quality of their work.
“Why? Because they (policemen) are also human, they are not machines,” he said, explaining that “(under the) 12-hour duty, one day break for every week, we are making them work 72 hours per week.
“That is too much in a country where people work under the labor rules of 40 hours (work) per week,” he stressed, adding that policemen will also have to work for 40 hours a week.
“We will try to make a system that will reduce the working hours. But in exchange, we will be looking for quality time,” Torre said.
“In areas, in cities that never sleep, Metro Manila, especially Makati, Quezon City, Manila, Pasay… I will really impose the eight-hour duty among our policemen,” he said.
Torre warned that policemen who are inefficient while on duty under the new eight-hour duty will be penalized, including possible dismissal. “It (inefficiency) will not be tolerated,” he said.
In non-urban areas, Torre said it will be up to the regional and provincial commanders to assess if the eight-hour duty rule can be applied in their areas.
“I leave it also to the commanders on the ground, especially the regional directors and the provincial directors, to make an independent assessment of their areas if this is applicable in their areas or not,” he said.
During his inaugural speech last Monday, Torre said he would implement a three-minute police response to crimes and other emergencies in urban areas.
He said the three-minute response was implemented in Quezon City when he served as Quezon City police director three years ago.
On Tuesday, Torre adjusted his goal to five minutes.
“The standard is actually seven (minutes)… Now, we are going middle ground – five minutes in the entire Metro Manila,” he said.
“I have already requested some of the mayors (in Metro Manila) and I am going to actually request (San Juan City) Mayor (Francis) Zamora as the chairman of the RPOC NCR (Regional Peace and Order Council-National Capital Region) to support us on this project,” he added.
ILLEGAL DRUGS
Torre stressed that the PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs, under his watch, will uphold human rights.
He made the remarks after the Commission on Human Rights expressed concern over his earlier statement that the assessment of policemen’s performance will be based on the number of suspects they arrest.
“Remember, when I said arrest, the suspects should be alive and not dead. I do not encourage killing,” he said, adding that the anti-drug operations should be conducted within the ambit of the law.
Torre said the job of policemen is to arrest people and file charges against the suspects before the prosecutors’ office.
“At the end of the day, I will always reiterate that effecting arrest is an essential part of a policeman’s job but we should respect human rights. We don’t want policemen hurting people,” he said, as he pointed out that disciplinary mechanisms are in place against policemen who commit abuses.
He said the public may file a complaint before the PNP Internal Affairs Service, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the National Police Commission, the People’s Law Enforcement Board and the Office of the Ombudsman.
‘ONE-STAR PNP CHIEF’
Also yesterday, Torre shrugged off criticisms about his appointment as PNP chief, including the remarks of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who said that his promotion was not based on merit.
Duterte has noted that Torre bypassed other officials who are ranked higher than him.
Torre, who was the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) before he was appointed PNP chief, held the rank as a two-star general or major general.
In addressing Duterte’s statement, Torre reminded the city mayor that his father, Rodrigo Duterte, appointed a one-star general as PNP chief when he was the president.
“I respect his opinion. And rewind-rewind lang nang kaunti sa termino naman ng tatay niya kung sino ang unang chief PNP… Ano ang ranggo ng unang chief PNP at ano ang ranggo ko bago ako naging chief PNP. It really goes back to him (I respect his opinion. But let us go back to the term of his father and who was his first chief PNP. What was the rank of his [father’s] first chief PNP and what was my rank before I became chief PNP. It really goes back to him),” he said.
“The first chief PNP of his father was a one-star who automatically became a four-star. Did he ask that? Did he question that?” he added.
Torre was referring to the appointment of former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was a brigadier general when he was named head of the police force.
Torre likewise shrugged off the statement of Vice President Sara Duterte, who said that his appointment as the new police chief was “too sketchy,” especially after a Senate investigation reportedly determined that he violated the law in implementing the arrest of her father.
Torre said he would answer the legal issue related to the former president’s arrest in the proper forum.
“Again, I respect the opinion of the Vice President and the opinion of everyone regarding the things we’ve done during the arrest of Mr. Duterte and his eventual transfer to The Hague. The findings of the Senate Committee are still within the Ombudsman and the Senate Committee is not a disciplinary machinery nor a court that can say who is right and who is wrong; who is guilty and not guilty. So, I think we will answer all those things in the proper forum,” he said.
Torre led the arrest of the 80-year-old Duterte on March 11 and his turnover to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, where he is facing crimes against humanity in connection with his drug war.
PNP MATTERS
As this developed, Torre said that as part of efforts to make law enforcers more accessible and responsive to the public, the PNP is ensuring not just more police visibility but is also working on improving its reaction or response time to emergencies.
In a briefing in Malacañang, he said the public can contact the police through the 911 emergency hotline, assuring that police units will respond within five minutes.
He said a simulation drive for the quick response scheme would be done in the coming days to show the public the improved 911 system.
Torre said a five-minute response time will initially focus on Metro Manila and will be expanded to other areas nationwide.
He said he is, however, still committed to pushing for a three-minute response time to achieve it within three months.
He said that those who would fail the quick reaction time would be subjected to more drills and training to improve their performance.
“Sasakit ang katawan nila. Ite-training ko sila and we will make sure that they will comply with it. So, drill, drill, drill and more drills will be the key. So, makikita ninyo ang mga pulis natin aktibo iyan. In the next few days aktibo iyan (Their body will ache a lot. I will train them and I will make sure that they will comply with it. So, drill, drill, drill and more drills will be the key. You would see our policemen become more active in the next few days),” he said.
POLICE BOXES
Torre said he is also considering the deactivation of police boxes and community precincts as they are no longer functional for investigations, noting that the facilities lack the proper equipment and resources to handle cases.
He said that instead of staying in police boxes, police officers should do street patrols either by walking or with the use of their vehicles to cover more areas.
He also said policemen would be subjected to additional training to gain new knowledge and skills in police intervention.
Torre said policemen would be trained to handle public disturbances, including those involving personal fights as seen on social media.
He said he also intends to conduct station inspections and surprise visits from time to time to ensure that police on the ground are doing their jobs.
Torre assured PNP members that they have nothing to worry about with him as PNP chief, as long as they do their best and do their jobs. –With Jocelyn Montemayor
