PNP CHIEF Gen. Nicolas Torre III yesterday warned policemen that failure to arrest suspected criminals is a grave offense and this may lead to their dismissal from the service.
He said this is contained in Memorandum Circular 2006-002 issued by the National Police Commission in 2016.
“This a major offense for a policeman. That is why I am encouraging policemen to do your job. If you see criminals, arrest them. Do not be afraid,” he said.
Torre made the statement during a visit at the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City — the first by a PNP chief – where he reiterated his directive to intensify operations against suspected criminals, including those involved in illegal drugs.
“I want to emphasize this to my fellow policemen … Failure to arrest (suspects) when it is his (policeman’s) duty to do so is a grave offense,” Torre said in his address during the visit.
A person may be arrested without a warrant if he or she was caught in the act of committing, attempting to commit, or has just committed a crime.
CHR Chairman Richard Palpal-latoc welcomed Torre’s visit. He said it is important because this will lead to better relations between the two agencies.
Palpal-latoc also said the commission is one with the PNP in ensuring public security.
What is important, he said, is that police operations are “performed within the bounds of the law.”
He added policemen are authorized to use force “as long as it is necessary and commensurate with the force being confronted with.”
Torre, in his address, said the use of force is a “last resort.”
In an ambush interview, Torre said policemen are allowed to defend themselves but the action should be commensurate with the threat posed by the suspects.
“When you arrest somebody, there is always a possibility they will fight … Policemen will defend themselves if they see they are in danger,” he Torre.
“But of course the force that should be employed should be graduated. If the suspect is using a nail cutter knife, you should not open fire,” he said.
However, Torre said it will be a “different story” if the three suspects, all armed with large knives, are about to attack a lone policeman.
“That’s already the judgement call of policemen on the ground,” he said.
DUTY
Also in the ambush interview, Torre said failure by a policeman to arrest a suspect “when it is his duty to do so falls under (the administrative offense of) grave misconduct … I am just reiterating the 2016 memorandum circular (of Napolcom).
Asked for the penalty, he said, “Dismissal from the service.”
On the intensified efforts to arrest suspected criminals, Torre said, “That’s the primary job of policemen. Our job is to rid the streets and communities of criminals and the only way to do that is arrest them.”
Torre also reiterated that the number of arrests made will be one of the metrics in assessing the performance of policemen.
He said policemen wanting to get a promotion need to present an affidavit of arrest.
He stressed that human rights should be respected during arrests, and infractions would be dealt with accordingly.
Torre cited the importance of his visit to the CHR office, noting that the “CHR is our boss on the protection of human rights.”
Torre said police operations are actually protecting human rights, noting that such efforts are in response to violation of human rights by criminals.
“But if policemen violate human rights, the CHR is there. I do recognize and thank the CHR for keeping us always in check and for being a partner of the Philippine National Police in ensuring that everything that we do is within the ambit of the law.”
