BY his actions and recent pronouncements, Gen. Benjamin Acorda, new chief of the Philippine National Police, looks like he is serious in making his time in the national police organization fruitful and relevant.
General Acorda last week urged police officers, even the lowest ranking ones, to document and report irregular activities of their superiors.
Acorda, who trained hundreds of policemen in counter-intelligence operations when he headed the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, urged the junior officers to use what he had taught them in “counter-intelligence” to keep their ranks clean and their higher officers in check. The PNP chief also relayed the same message to young policemen he trained at the Institute Training Group and Police Non-Commissioned Officers.
‘The guiding slogan in the PNP under General Acorda’s watch is, “Do good things to defeat evil,” and while he has until December 3 to institute police reforms, we hope that the general can make a difference in the short period of time he has.’
“Let us make unity and upright behavior the guideposts in our organization. Let’s use counter-intelligence work so that among police officers, if the superiors or head officers are corrupt, let us document that,” Acorda said.
While implementing a strict level of discipline in the police force, General Acorda assured the men in uniform that there will be no public shaming or humiliation of police officers who are accused of infractions of rules.
He advised police commanders to treat their personnel as a member of their family. No public shaming but if the subordinate needs to be jailed for the commission of any crime, so be it. The law does not distinguish between common felons and criminals in uniform.
Acorda used to head the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group and in this capacity, he has a vast experience in handling cases of police officers suspected to be involved in illegal activities. While he did not give a ballpark figure, Acorda said there are only a few misfits within the 228,000-strong PNP.
Just like Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, himself a former PNP chief, Acorda believes that there are a lot of more good cops out there, offering their skills, energy and even their lives to ensure that our communities are safe and peaceful. The PNP chief also vowed to be transparent and forthright in their relationship with the media, saying that what the police are doing should be made known to the public.
Finally, General Acorda extended to the public his previous advice to his men to report to him any anomaly or irregularity committed by police personnel. He told Filipinos not to fear.
“Send letters to me and I will have these validated,” he said.
The guiding slogan in the PNP under General Acorda’s watch is “Do good things to defeat evil” and while he has until December 3 to institute police reforms, we hope that the general can make a difference in the short period of time he has.
