AT the recent confirmation hearing of lawyer Rey Echavarria Bulay who had been nominated by Malacañang as commissioner of the Commission on Elections, Bulay explained how he intends to work with the rest of the Comelec en banc in safeguarding the independence of the poll body, especially now that we are facing a crucial election year in 2022.
Sen. Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa was all ears for he knew how politicians can wield their power of the budget and other things just to pressure independent constitutional bodies like the Comelec to grant their requests.
A former chief of the Philippine National Police, General Dela Rosa realized that the police organization, like the Comelec, is walking the tightrope every day in trying to do its job honestly and efficiently while parrying attempts by politicians to interfere.
‘… this arrangement makes
the PNP provincial director
and municipal and city
police chiefs indebted
to the local chief executives.’
Senator Bato said he is determined to amend Republic Act 6975, the law creating the Philippine National Police (PNP), to finally free the police from the influence or control of politicians in power.
He said he is even more encouraged to push for the amendment of the PNP law to end the “indebtedness” of the police to politicians, especially local mayors and governors.
The senator said Bulay’s assurances “also emboldens me to pursue my advocacy in insulating the Philippine National Police from undue political pressure coming from politicians. I believe no politician should interfere in the appointments of chiefs of police.’’
Dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee, noted that mayors approve the appointment of their chiefs of police and governors approve the appointment of their provincial police directors. The senator lamented that this arrangement makes the PNP provincial director and municipal and city police chiefs indebted to the local chief executives.
Senator Dela Rosa is right in pursuing this legal reform in the police organization and we support him. We are sure another former PNP chief, senatorial aspirant retired General Guillermo Eleazar who reportedly has had a sad experience in PNP appointments in his own province of Quezon, supports him, too.
