Manila: The Philippine National Police say they have been using Honesty Teams to apprehend and file cases against corrupt men in uniform.
According to Chief Superintendant Reuben Theodore Sindac, head of the PNP Public Information Office, Honesty Teams have been employed for some time now in an effort to cleanse the national police of operatives who deviated from their sworn duties and had taken to corrupt ways.
“Honesty Teams were organised since 2006 purposely to conduct an intensive nationwide campaign against erring PNP personnel engaged in extortion or ‘kotong’, ‘hulidap’ or apprehend and extort [operations], mulcting, bribery, and other forms of illegal activities,” Sindac said.
The employment of Honesty Teams by the PNP came to light amid public outrage over the apparent inability of the government to punish rogue policemen.
Generally viewed with fear and suspicion rather than respect, the Filipino policeman’s image hit rock bottom following successive reports of their involvement in criminal activities.
Certain rogue policemen seemingly operate with impunity, the public interest group, Coalition of Filipino Consumers (CFC), said when it filed cases of plunder, graft and corruption as well as bribery against the country’s top law enforcement officer, national police Director General Allan Purisima.
Purisima was accused by the CFC of owning a huge countryside estate in Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon.
Purisima is known to be personally close to President Benigno Aquino III.
Internal cleansing
Sindac did not say if the Honesty Teams, in its eight years of operation, were able to file cases against rogue policemen.
“The PNP has been conducting its own internal cleansing campaign among police personnel over the last eight years, consistent with the PNP policy on transparency, public accountability, and anti-corruption campaign,” he said.
Sindac also said that the PNP is conducting a “lifestyle check” of its personnel upon the instructions of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Purisima.
“To date, there are a number of PNP personnel, including star-ranked officers, who are undergoing lifestyle checks validating that the process is being practised by PNP officials,” he said.
Sindac said the anti-corruption initiatives were pre-emptive measures to eliminate possible opportunities and situations where graft and corruption may be committed.
He said the national police adheres to the decision of national leaders in conducting a top-to-bottom lifestyle check among all personnel in the interest of transparency and accountability, and as part of anti-corruption efforts in the organisation.
“This serves as an opportunity to protect the good name of the organisation by eliminating suspicions and speculations of alleged ill-gotten wealth or involvement in criminal activities,” Sindac said.
Earlier, Roxas said that allegations of corruption badly damaging the image of the entire 125,000 personnel-strong national police force, although only a small number of its personnel are actually engaged in corrupt activities.
