The Shameful Legacy of the Duterte Administration

When we talk about Duterte's legacy we cannot simply refer to Duterte alone. He is one man who ultimately does nothing but give orders. He does not control the economy or the military or the police or any other group. He gives directions and the men who run the various organizations do their best to follow his directions. But what if there were no President? Would the PNP and AFP then be left without a mission? It seems that is the case. 

If Duterte's legacy is that the drug problem was finally squashed that is a shameful condemnation of the PNP, PDEA, and other groups tasked with enforcing drug laws.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145584

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Thursday acknowledged that the anti-illegal drug campaign is one of the main achievements of the Duterte Administration.

Eleazar's statement came following Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque’s assessment that the anti-illegal drugs campaign is among the administration's achievements.

"Out of 42,045 barangays, 21,891 barangays have been cleared. Ngayon lang nangyari ito sa kapanahunan ng Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte (This only happened during the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte)," Eleazar said.

Latest government data also showed that during 200,632 anti-illegal drug operations by the different law enforcement agencies since 2016, a total of 289,622 suspects were arrested while 6,117 suspects were killed.

The total value of illegal drugs and laboratory equipment confiscated in these anti-illegal drug operations was placed at PHP59.14 billion. Eleazar vowed that the PNP would remain relentless in its anti-illegal drug operations and in its drive to put a stop to the illegal drug trade.

"This only happened during the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte." Do these people even stop to think about what they are saying? Why is it that only during Duterte's time as president that the PNP have focused so heavily on the drug problem? What were they doing before 2016??  

It's not Duterte who is fighting the war on drugs. He never arrested anyone or busted a lab or engaged in a shootout or done any of the leg work required in that war. He merely told the PNP what to do and they did it. Are we to suppose that unless they are specifically told to do something the PNP will sit back and twiddle their thumbs? That seems to be the case. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1561488/fwd-duterte-hopes-his-successor-will-continue-war-on-drugs

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday expressed hope that his successor would continue his controversial war against illegal drugs, saying he is worried that the drug problem would make a resurgence.

“Itong drugs, I hope that whoever would sit as President, would continue this — if not the ferocity that I did, and I accept it, maski man lang ‘yung a little lower than my standard,” he said in a taped public address aired on Tuesday morning.

(I hope that whoever sits as President would continue the initiative — if not the ferocity that I did, maybe just a little lower than my standard.)

(Because it will destroy our country. I am very worried about the resurgence of the drug problem.)

He said the continuation of the campaign against illegal drugs would protect the next generation because “they will have a serious problem in their hands” if the drug problem is not mitigated.

(If the drug problem is so serious now, if you don’t meet it with as much intensity, you will lose.)

Is there really a Presidential candidate who is pro-drugs? Brain-dead morons would say Leni but I digress. The fact is this headline should read "Duterte hopes the PNP will continue the war on drugs" because it is the PNP along with the PDEA who is tasked with implementing and enforcing those laws. 

This is not to say there was no enforcement of the drug laws before Duterte. There certainly were big busts under the Aquino administration. But there was no drug war as it exists under Duterte. Why is that? Perhaps the PNP simply did not care to really squash the problem especially since there are many drug dealers and users within their ranks. 

The fact of criminality within the PNP is another issue. The latest number has the number of dismissed cops since 2016 at over 5,000.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/01/19/2154963/pnp-over-5000-cops-dismissed-service-under-internal-cleansing

Over 5,000 errant cops have been sacked after motu proprio investigations on alleged abuses and illicit activities as part of the Philippine National Police's regular audit of line units, it said in its latest update on its internal cleansing program.

In a statement sent to reporters Tuesday, Police Gen. Dionardo Carlos, PNP chief disclosed that of 37,124 administrative cases being handled by the Internal Affairs Service, 35,297 have been tagged as closed from July 2016 to Jan. 12, 2022.

“It is with deep sadness to know that the PNP is stained with erring cops. These undesirable members of the organization must face the consequences of their actions,” Carlos said.

“Public service means embracing scrutiny [but] we will let the numbers speak for themselves," he also said. 

This, while the PNP added that "more than 20,000 personnel" have been meted with penalties on the gravity of the offense committed, mostly faced suspension while "some 5,000 police officers" were slapped with dismissal from service, from July 2016 to December 2021.

The PNP's public information office did not respond to requests for a breakdown of the exact figures. As of August 2021, 5,151 officers were dismissed from service while 18,664 cops were also penalized for various offenses.

I suppose they use July 2016 as a marker to show that Duterte has been hard on crime especially within the ranks of the PNP. But really Duterte has nothing to do with it. Once again the onus falls on the PNP to cleanse its ranks but even to this day they are filled with good-for-nothing-lollygaggers, criminals, and idiots. I document this every week in my Retards in the Government series. When Duterte leaves office are we to believe that criminality within the ranks of the PNP will increase? 

The fact is too much blame or praise is given to the President when he is merely a figurehead. He does not make laws or actually enforce them. His underlings do that. Rather than heap praise or blame on Duterte for the war on drugs what we should be asking is what is the problem with the PNP, PDEA, and NBI? Why have they let the drug problem get out of control? Why did they not tackle this issue with gusto long before Duterte?  Why do they need to be reminded to enforce the drug laws when that is part of their job? Will they once again go slack when Duterte leaves office?

Duterte's legacy is a complex thing to navigate. A lot has happened in six years and we still need the distance of time to see the bigger picture. But in the case of the drug war Duterte's legacy can be distilled more easily. Duterte's legacy is that he has exposed the shamefulness of the PNP, PDEA, and NBI in their lax stance about enforcing the drug laws. 

Picture of the Week: On the Take

Imagine a police department so corrupt they have to launch a PR campaign to convince the people that they are not corrupt.

Well, that's the Philippine National Police for ya. But despite all their PR drives the public knows the truth. There are too many bad cops. It's not a problem of a few bad eggs or a few bad apples. No. The problem is a system where corruption is allowed to happen. Sure, they arrest the extortioners and drug users in their ranks. But why are there so many? Why would they do those things unless they thought no one would care and they would never be punished for it?

Tarps like this only serve to reinforce and confirm the fact that the PNP is a very corrupt organization.

Inmate Directed PNP-PDEA Operation From Inside His Cell Says NBI

Remember that PDEA-PNP misencounter back in February where both agencies end up firing at each other in public near a mall during what was supposed to be a regular buy-bust operation? Well, the NBI now has an answer as to why this happened. It wasn't the fault of either the PDEA or PNP but the fault of a sneaky drug lord who was directing the whole operation from inside his prison cell.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1436189/occidental-mindoro-inmate-dictated-tempo-of-drug-transaction-that-led-to-pnp-pdea-clash-nbi

An inmate at the Sablayan Penal Colony in Occidental Mindoro, right from inside his cell, “dictated the tempo” of the drug transaction that led to the deadly shootout between police officers and anti-drug operatives in Quezon City last Feb. 14, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Two police officers, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operative, and an informant were killed in the shootout between agents of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service (SES) and the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of the Quezon City Police District.

Police maintained that they were conducting a legitimate buy-bust operation. They tapped Jonaire Decena, who was later revealed to be a detainee, as a poseur buyer, transacting with a certain James Tan.

Calls, video chats, and online messages between them were presented during the hearing.

According to Bacani, the Philippine National Police (PNP) submitted to the NBI a copy of the video call conversation between Decena and Tan. The NBI traced the call to the Sablayan Penal Colony.

It was an inmate there named Melvin Magallon, also known as Pawpaw, who first talked with Decena.

“But the picture in the cellphone of Mama Jo [that is, Jonaire Decena] was not that of Pawpaw,” Bacani told the committee in Filipino.

Bacani said James Tan was only used as a cover, but it was Magallon who was “dictating the tempo” of the transaction.

“It appears that he [Tan] was put there, but the one dictating the tempo is Pawpaw or Magallon,” the NBI official said.

In reaction, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the committee chair, pointed out that this was the reason why he was persistent in pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty — in order to stop drug dealers from operating even behind bars.

“If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino

“We are being fooled by drug lords in prison. That’s why I appeal to my colleagues to reimpose the death penalty on high-level drug traffickers,” he added.

The gist of this tale is that a prisoner in Mindoro was running and directing a PNP-PDEA operation by using a fall guy. They even made video calls to each other. How was a prisoner allowed to make video calls when phones are not allowed inside prisons? Who cares!

Former PNP Chief and now Senator Bato sure does not care. Instead of rightly blaming corrupt BuCor officers and inept policemen he actually belittles the PNP by saying, "We are being fooled by drug lords in prison." Amazing. Is the PNP really so stupid as to be taken in by drug lords in prison? According to Bato they are. Who is running the show? It's like Con Air where the prisoners are actually dictating what is happening.

But it's not enough for Bato to belittle the PNP. He goes on to say, "If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP." He actually makes this instance of miscommunication between the PNP and PDEA, as well as obviously corrupt BuCor officials, into a case for the death penalty. That is a pure deflection from the issue of the incompetence and corruption of all agencies involved.

Instead of advocating getting rid of corrupt officials and making sure the PNP and PDEA are coordinating with one another regarding operations Bato's solution is to "Kill 'em all." And no wonder coming from the man who first directed Duterte's bloody war on drugs and said when a 3 year old during a drug bust, "Shit happens."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/07/08/1933018/bato-sorry-shit-happens-remark-says-it-again-anyway

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police, clarified that he made the wrong choice of words when he commented on the death of a three-year-old girl in a drug bust operation.

Last week, the neophyte senator said "shit happens" when asked about the demise of the girl, which drew criticism from rights groups.

"I will recall my word. Instead of 'shit' let us change it to 'unfortunate incident' (happens)," Dela Rosa told ANC' "Headstart" Monday.

What a sleight of hand from ol' Bato. He takes back the word "shit" and substitutes "unfortunate incident" without changing the meaning of his sentiment. It just looks better.  And that is what the PNP is all about when it comes to cleaning up corruption, looking good as opposed to being good. 

Will there be an investigation into exactly how Pawpaw was able to get a cellphone to make video calls and direct a PNP operation? Will there be real change within the BuCor, an agency Bato once headed and promised to clean up, or will there just be the status quo? I think we all know the answer.

Retards in the Government Special Edition: New PNP Chief With the Same Old Promises

It's that time again. Time for the President to pick a new PNP Chief and then time to listen to his opening speech as he takes the reigns. This time there was literally only one man for the job.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/02/2095261/only-one-name-list-next-pnp-chief

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año only has one name on his list for the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Año said he has submitted the one-man list to President Duterte for his consideration on who will lead the 200,000-strong police force.

“The recommendation has only one name. But the President has the prerogative to also choose anyone with a rank of at least Police Brigadier General in the PNP force,” he told reporters.

Current PNP chief General Debold Sinas, who was embroiled in the Mañanita gaffe that saw him and 18 other cops charged for quarantine protocols, is set to retire on May 8.

He bypassed senior PNP officers when he was named as the PNP chief, succeeding retired General Camilo Cascolan, by President Duterte in November.

The current second-highest ranking police officer in the roster is Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP deputy chief for administration.

PNP Chief Sinas, himself a symbol of protected and privileged corruption because he was never punished for the party he had which violated COVID-19 health protocols, is out the door as he has reached the mandatory retirement age of 56. And who is to take his place? Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar of course. 

Immediately Eleazar assured the public he would set about launching reforms. Everything from literally cleaning PNP stations to weeding out bad apples.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1893947/Manila/Local-News/Eleazar-to-focus-on-cleanliness-drive-reforms

With his assumption, Eleazar announced the re-launching of the intensified cleanliness policy (ICP), which he first implemented during his stint in the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Eleazar said the policy focuses on the maintenance of cleanliness in police stations, the implementation of reforms to stop the culture of wrongdoings among policemen, making the PNP recruitment foolproof through a QR code system to avoid “bata-bata” or “padrino” system, and intensification of community-focused peace and order operations.

“If at the very entrance of the police station, cigarette butts and garbage can be seen, and if at the very entrance the breeze is nauseating, it will be difficult for us to gain the respect and trust of our countrymen we serve, ” Eleazar said.

“Even if we have qualified new PNP personnel with the proper training, if these inexperienced policemen will be fellow bad influences who will teach them the wrong systems of bribery, laziness, abuse and greed for money, nothing will happen," he added.

There is absolutely nothing new in these promises. In fact we are told that he is "re-launching" the cleanliness policy. Shouldn't such a policy always be in place? It is the same old speech given by every incoming PNP Chief for two decades now. But there is one little twist. Eleazar says he wants to replace corrupt PNP officers with 17,000 new recruits.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/786773/eleazar-eyes-17k-new-recruits-to-replace-corrupt-police-officers/story/

Over 17,000 aspirants will be recruited this year to replace rogue uniformed personnel in the organization, as part of efforts to cleanse the ranks, the new Philippine National Police's top cop said Sunday.

In an interview with "Dobol B TV," newly-installed PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said he will make sure the recruitment process would only yield "the best candidates for the PNP."

[We start the internal cleansing with the recruitment of 17,000 police this year. We want to get rid of corruption, patronage system in selecting candidates to join 250,000-strong police force.]

(Problems in the police force crop up due to misfits and those with criminal records), Eleazar pointed out.

(Misfits could not have joined the service if the process was done properly), he added.

That is quite a revelation. PNP Chief Eleazar is saying they knowingly hire recruits with criminal records! And to boot he thinks 17,000 new recruits are needed to flush out the corrupt cops. Are there really 17,000 corrupt officers? Do they know the names of these officers? That would be 6.8% of the total number of officers which are corrupt. That is nothing to sneeze at.  

It's not just corrupt cops that is the problem plaguing the PNP. There is also the problem of cops who do not follow protocols. Eleazar is going to work with the DOJ and DILG to handle that mess.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139891

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will map out plans with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for a course of action for erring policemen.

In a message to newsmen on Tuesday, Secretary Menardo Guevarra said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año and PNP chief General Guillermo Eleazar also “expressed their support to the DOJ-led panel reviewing cases of deaths arising from illegal drug operations".

"The DOJ will meet with the DILG and PNP in the coming days to discuss ways to accelerate disciplinary/ legal action against erring police officers," Guevarra said.

In previous interviews, Guevarra admitted that “in more than half of the records reviewed, the law enforcement agents involved failed to follow standard protocols pertaining to coordination with other agencies and the processing of the crime scene".

Guevarra said police officials began internal investigations and recommended administrative and criminal actions.

The inter-agency panel was created by the DOJ in June 2020, following a report from United Nations that "serious human rights violations" in police operations have been committed in the war against drugs. 

You know, there really is not much hope for the PNP. Why aren't there already protocols in place for dealing with PNP officers who do not follow standard protocols when processing a crime scene? Why is this only being acknowledged now after it was exposed by the UN? If these people cared a whit about real reform they would not need the UN to expose their massive misconduct. It is unlikely that Eleazar is going to change a thing. Hopefully he does, but the public shouldn't count on it. Too much is at stake for any real change to happen.

Philippine City Wants Drivers To Spy On Everyone

General Santos City is considering a strange proposal requiring all drivers to install dash cams in order to spy on everyone. This is all in the name of safety and security.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130254

The city council here is planning to tap motorists as “roving eyes” on the streets to enhance public safety and security.

City Councilor Vivencio Dinopol said Wednesday they are studying a measure that will require the installation of dashboard cameras or “dashcams” in private and public utility vehicles.

He said the move is aimed to ensure the proper recording, through mobile digital video devices, of road crashes and related incidents as well as criminal activities, especially the shootings by motorcycle-riding suspects.

The presence of the dashcams could deter the occurrence of various traffic violations and help counter the movement of criminal elements, he said.

Dinopol said many crimes remained unsolved due to the lack of witnesses and available video footages.

“We have existing security and road traffic safety measures but these are clearly not enough. We need to take advantage of the available technologies to ensure the safety of the general public while on our streets,” he told reporters.

He said they will hold a series of consultations, through the committees on transportation and public safety, to get the pulse and recommendations from the public regarding the measure, which will set through an ordinance.

He acknowledged that it could be difficult for some motor vehicle owners to comply due to the financial requirement and with the local transport sector still reeling from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

But he said they are considering possible arrangements that would allow the local government to assist the affected motorists.

“During the committee hearing, the LGU (local government unit) could commit some amount to assist the vehicle owners in buying dashcams, maybe through loans or any other scheme,” he said.

This is unbelievably Orwellian. What these people want is to transform everyone with a car into a snitch. Not just a snitch but eyes for the state! They will in effect be setting up a panopticon. How dare these LGUs be called dads! They are elected officials who govern at the consent of the governed. They are by no means "dads" or fathers. They are servants of the people. How would this law be serving the people? It wouldn't!

All of this is totally ridiculous and redundant as well. Just last year General Santos City was preparing to roll out a P451 million traffic, CCTV system.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120706

The city government is gearing up for the full implementation of its PHP451-million synchronized traffic signalization and city-wide closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera system project.

Engr. Emerald Signar, head of the City Engineer’s Office in a radio interview on Wednesday said the special bids and awards committee (BAC) commissioned for the project has already started the series of pre-procurement conference as part of the preparatory processes.

He said the pre-procurement conference is the venue for the BAC to scrutinize the requirements and other necessary attachments in the project proposals of the prospective suppliers or contractors.

These are based on the approved terms of reference (TOR) and performance specification of the project, he said.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera originally approved the project in 2018 but Signar said its implementation was delayed due to the crafting of the TOR and performance specification.

Signar said it will be a design-build process, with the winning supplier designing the system based on the TOR, which set an implementation period of 18 months.

He said the traffic signalization will cover at least 26 major intersections that were identified in a study conducted by the city’s traffic engineering unit as critical sections due to heavy vehicular traffic.

The official said the winning supplier is mandated to upgrade the existing 11 traffic light systems in the city and synchronize them with the new units.

Under the project, he said over 200 CCTV cameras will also be installed in different locations in the city that will be connected by a fiber optic cabling system.

Signar said the local government opted to implement the project in full instead of phased basis to ensure the proper integration and synchronization of the systems.

He said other local government units that rolled out the project on phased basis faced problems with the fast-changing technologies and differences in the systems adopted by the winning suppliers.

“We want it implemented in full to ensure that it is synchronized and totally integrated. That’s the mayor’s marching order,” he said.

When completed, Signar said the project is expected to enhance traffic and law enforcement operations in the city since the CCTV cameras will have face recognition, face tamper recognition, color recognition and other features.

He said the CCTVs, based on the approved specification, will be able to see through tinted motor vehicles.

These will be useful in the identification of traffic violators through the “no contact” enforcement policy and on alerting the possible movements of criminal elements, he said.

He added that the CCTV cameras may also be used for the monitoring of disaster incidents and facilitate faster response by the local government.

That article is from November 2020 so it can't be that COVID has put things on hold. There is no mention of COVID in this article. Look at the features of this system: facial recognition, can see through tinted windows, and many other things. Can a dash cam do that?  NO!!

It should be noted this system is not in effect. They are still going through the bidding process apparently. They want it to be implemented all at once to prevent any snafus. The budget has been in place since 2018 but now 3 years later...nothing. Solution? Get everyone to have dash cams to cover their butts! 

Let's say it becomes law. Then what? Everyone has a dash cam and then what? What happens to the footage? Will people be required to upload it to a central database? How would that even be enforced!? Who would analyze all the video footage from thousands of vehicles? It's a preposterous idea.

What about the local PNP? Don't they have body cams which would record much of the same footage?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1386454/house-probe-sought-on-delayed-police-body-camera-project

“More than two years since the budget for the body cameras for police was approved, the PNP has yet to complete the procurement and distribution of the devices meant to increase police accountability and transparency,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.

For all their talk the PNP has yet to procure body cameras. Yet General Santos City wants to pass a law making it mandatory for all drivers to have dash cams! It is a totally ridiculous and totalitarian proposal. It will probably pass into law.

A PNP Mural

A new mural at a PNP camp has been painted. In nine panels we get a gist of how the PNP view themselves and their mission. Let's take a look.

It's a little hard to take a full panoramic picture of this mural especially with all the traffic but this is what it looks like from the side. The first panel features the SAF being watched over by the Archangel Michael as they are out on a mission.

The mission is to bust down the door of ISIS which is hiding in the next panel. Above the SAF is a verse from the Psalms.

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Inside the room where ISIS is hiding is the devil.  Above him is another scripture.

1 Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil

And of course on the table in front of the Devil is a bag of money.

There is also a skull, a knife, some pills, and of to the side a naked couple is engaged in an embrace.

But what does the love of money have to do with the Muslim insurgency and the rise of ISIS in the Philippines? Aboslutley nothing. The MNLF was formed in the 70's as a separatist group seeking the cessation of Mindanao as a Muslim homeland. In the subsequent years the MNLF splintered into the MILF, Abu Sayyaf, and BIFF. The MNLF became complacent with the establishment of the ARMM while the other groups continued the fight. To make a long story short money is not the goal of any of the Muslim groups in Mindanao but rather the relinquishing of the whole of Mindanao as a Muslim homeland. That is clearly the case as stated in the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain which the government actually signed but which was later overturned by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional.

And why have Satan over looking the whole scene? ISIS is an Islamic group so the proper one to be overlooking the situation would be Mohammed. Does the artist not know that ISIS believe they are waging a holy war against Christianity? Remember the church bombing in Jolo? Perhaps the artist saying that Islam is satanic. Perhaps he means ISIS is evil and not truly representative of Islam. 

The next panel is this delightful little sight.

The PNP is holding the line against angry demonstrators. What are they demonstrating against? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that the PNP is the bulwark between these demonstrators and peacefulness. Behind them is Van Gogh's Starry Night. Little know fact: Starry Night was painted while Van Gogh was in an asylum. There is a lot of tumultuous emotion placed in the bush strokes which give the illusion of movement to the glowing stars as they swirl across the sky. In short Starry Night is not simply a stylized painting of the night sky. It is a physical representation of Van Gogh's mental illness. 

So what we are really looking at here is the symbolic manifestation of the PNP schizophrenic mentations who think labelling protesters as terrorists and doing all they can to curtail the people's right to petition the government for the redress of grievances is good. The manic intensity of the stars and the sky reflects the manic intensity of their delusional self-perception.

The next panel looks kind of like Yosemite valley with El Capitan and Half Dome in the background.

Obviously that is not what it is. This panel seems to be out of place within the mural as a whole. There is no artistic statement and no action. Are those PNP officers on patrol? Listen closely and you can hear the slow approach of a Huey and the soft strains of Fortunate Son.

The next three pictures are all part of one long scene. The PNP is telling us that they make the community safe.

Everyone is working together. What are they doing?  They are spraying a hose to fight back the CPP-NPA and the coronavirus, COVID-19. 

This picture of Joma Sison and an NPA fighter is ridiculous propaganda. First the fighter.  He is wearing a straw hat and sandals and is not at all properly equipped.  That is not the reality on the ground. The reality is that the NPA has plenty of weapons and equipment. After all they have waged a 52 year campaign against the government. They are not backwards rice farmers who happened to pick up a gun and have no idea how to use it. The AFP is regularly busting open NPA lairs and recovering bombs and heavy firepower.

Second of all is Sison himself. He is painted as a distorted caricature standing on a pile of skulls in a lake of blood. He is holding out the communist hammer and sickle over the head of his minion, the fighter. The hammer and sickle has become a question mark. What is that man fighting for? What are his goals? The implication is he does not know which is rather presumptuous. 

The sickle and hammer are also crumbling just as the AFP and PNP claim the NPA is on the wan due to the many rebels who have surrendered.

Floating around Sison and the NPA fighter is the coronavirus, COVID-19. Thank goodness the PNP is around to protect the nation from the virus by enforcing quarantine rules in the longest ongoing lockdown in the world. Thank goodness the PNP is out in the streets battling the invisible enemy which is floating around in the air waiting to infect any passerby. 

This is how the PNP see themselves. They are the only thing standing between chaos and order. They are holding back all the evil that is just waiting to be unleashed on the public. It's not a bad mural. It's not a great mural. Given the current state of the PNP it is a rather narcissistic and unrealistic mural.

Not an Isolated Incident

The fallout from and the PNP's response to the shooting of a woman and her son by their neighbor who was an off-duty cop has been just what everyone has come to expect of that very corrupt organization. They say it's an isolated case and let's not focus on the bad apples because there are so many good cops. Pure deflection.

First the "isolated incident" canard.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/21/20/pnp-chief-says-cops-shooting-of-unarmed-neighbors-an-isolated-case

"The PNP considers this as an isolated involvement of the person of PSSg (Nuezca). In no way will such incident affect the sworn duty of the 221,000 police personnel to serve and protect our people," he said in a statement.

Of course then we all found out that this cop was a bad cop who had many cases filed against him. He should have been fired years ago. Two of those cases were even for homicide.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374548/policeman-linked-to-2-homicides-says-pnp-chief

He said that based on Nuezca’s records gathered by the Central Luzon police, the officer was investigated twice by the Internal Affairs Service for grave misconduct involving two homicides on May 9 and Dec. 29 last year.

“All of these were dismissed because of lack of evidence and witnesses to pursue the administrative cases. So, more or less, no criminal case was filed against him,” Sinas said.

He noted that Nuezca was also charged administratively for grave misconduct in 2013, less serious neglect of duty for failing to submit himself to drug testing in 2014, and serious neglect of duty for failing to appear as a prosecution witness in a drug case in 2016.

Sinas said the most Nuezca got was a 31-day suspension for avoiding the drug test because the other two less grave offenses were “dropped and closed.”

How convenient that there was warrant enough to investigate but then there was no evidence or witnesses to pursue the cases! Well there is the whole presumed innocent thing. But surely the PNP knew they had a problem cop on their hand when he refused to show up for a drug test, right?

The fact that he was able to operate with such impunity shows that the PNP is not as interested in cleaning its ranks as they claim. It also shows that, contrary to what Año says, the sin of this man IS the sin of PNP.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374265/ano-sin-of-cop-in-tarlac-shooting-not-the-sin-of-entire-pnp

“While there are unfortunate incidents like this, the vast majority of our PNP personnel perform their sworn duties everyday with honor and integrity to protect and serve the people,” Año said.

“The sin of Nuezca is not the sin of the entire Philippine National Police. As we have seen during this pandemic, they place their very lives on the line as frontliners in our COVID response,” he added, referring to Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca who is the suspect in the crime.

To Año this brazen and evil killing is just an "unfortunate incident." Shit happens right? That's what former PNP chief Bato said when a toddler was killed during a drug bust.

Maybe Año is a lapsed Catholic and does not understand that even though we did not commit Adam's personal sin we are still just as guilty as he because he is our representative. In the same way because the PNP did nothing to stop this man they are guilty of this crime which is a culmination of all his other misbehavior.

This ties nicely into the second deflection which is "not all cops."

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374735/remember-cops-heroic-acts-too-pnp-says-amid-backlash-from-tarlac-shooting

But PNP spokesman Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said the incident should not overshadow the PNP’s good deeds.

"We respect all accusations because of Nuezca but let's also look at the many good examples that our police have already shared," Usana said Tuesday in a televised Always Ready Public Briefing.

“It can no longer be counted. Maybe it will be fair and just to pay attention to the heroic acts of our police over this particular case of Nuezca, ”he added.

What a straw man! No one is saying the entire PNP head for head is corrupt. Sure there are good cops. Check out this "good cop" the PNP showed off as an example.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1375705/good-cop-in-pnp-tale-hit-protesters-in-2016

What should have been a feel-good story to restore public trust on the police had backfired when the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) made the wrong choice of its poster boy for a model officer.

In a statement earlier this week, the NCRPO praised Police Staff Sgt. Franklin Kho, a decorated officer with the Manila Police District (MPD), for using a month’s worth of salary to help the “Hijos del Nazareno” — honor guards of the Black Nazarene image of the Quiapo Church during the annual January traslacion or procession.

“This is another proof that not all police officers stray from the path,” he said.

While some applauded his charitable deed, others questioned the choice of Kho as a model officer after he had bulldozed and ran over a crowd of protesters using a police van during a rally in front of the US Embassy on Oct. 19, 2016. Dozens were injured in the potentially fatal action by the officer.

It was not the first time that Kho used a police vehicle in responding to protesters. In December 2010, Kho used a police truck to crash into a barricade put up by “kuliglig” (motorized rickshaw) drivers on Padre Burgos Street near the Manila City Hall. The drivers were then protesting an order by then-Mayor Alfredo Lim banning three-wheeled vehicles from the capital’s main roads.

The PNP's model cop ran down protestors twice! But since that was in 2016 and 2010 I guess we should forget all about it.  Let bygones be bygones right?

One local PNP chief, former chief, thinks along the same lines as Año and Bato and is protective of PNP officers. The lesson learned is to respect cops, he says.

https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/cabinet-files/155698/catanduanes-police-chief-respect-a734-20201221

“My Father is a Policeeee Mannnnn ha !!! I don’t care eh eh eh eh eh err !!! Putangina you want to finish you now ???? Bang Bang Bang Bang .. 

"Lesson learn even if we have white hair or we are gray, we can learn to respect our policemen. It is difficult to resist restraint and patience.

"RIP Mom and Sonny."

That is an actual Facebook post from a former police chief. Former because the mayor requested he be fired because of this post.

This refers to the current news about the killings of a mother and her son by a policeman in Tarlac province which have gone viral on the internet.

Accordingly we find it very disturbing that PNP Bato Municipal Station Chief-of-Police, Cptn. Ariel R Buraga has posted in his Facebook account that the slain mother was at fault because she did not give due respect to the policeman prompting him to shot her fatally.

Much as we respect his right to publicly pronounce his personal opinion regarding the killings, he should have exercised restraint and prudence in doing so considering that he is Chief-of-Police in this LGU, on the one hand, and that he should let the PNP's investigation into the matter run its natural course so that the truth about the tragedy would emerge, on the other hand.

In this regard, we will highly appreciate it if the PNP could assign another Chief-of-Police in this municipality to assuage the fears of the constituents of this LGU of a seemingly biased chief-of-police whose loyalty it seems, rests primarily with his fellow policemen than with the constituents in his area of responsibility.

Of course his loyalty rests with his fellow policeman. Where else would it lie? DFA Secretary Teddy Locsin even had a word to say about this man's Facebook post.

https://twitter.com/teddyboylocsin/status/1341184923097395200

"you piece of native shit and incontrovertible proof that Independence was premature."

Maybe reverting back to a colony of the USA would fix all the problems in the PNP and the entire government. Why not? The USA gives this nation billions in aid of all kinds every single year while their own citizens get nothing!

Worry not, there will be no changes in the PNP as result of this case.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/22/20/pnp-spox-says-tarlac-killings-wont-trigger-change-in-police-force-cites-earlier-reforms

The brutal killing of unarmed civilians by a police officer in Tarlac province will not spur any changes in the Philippine National Police (PNP) as earlier reforms have been implemented, its spokesman said Tuesday, saying the shooting incident was isolated and would not dampen the "best intentions" of the police force.

"I guess what [Police Master Senior Sgt. Jonel] Nuezca did is something that will not even trigger any change at all in the PNP because we have had many changes [that] had already been initiated," Police Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana told ANC amid calls for reform. 

"This particular case actually will not make the PNP as if we're totally wrong because as I was saying, this is an isolated case. The murder criminal action has already been filed. The [officer's] dismissal will be forthcoming. The PNP will have to move on from there." 

Usana maintained that Nuezca's action, which he described as abominable, does not represent the 221,000-strong police force. 

He said the PNP had already dismissed some 4,800 out of 16,800 police officers who were facing various administrative cases. 

"We have had these number of cases involving erring police officers... they are all dismissed from the service. If they stay longer in the service, the PNP itself may be at [the] wrong," Usana said. 

"But in this case, we will not waste any minute longer for them to stay in the service because they don't deserve to be a police officer at all."

In fact the Palace has told those calling for reform in the PNP to reform themselves!

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/12/22/2065620/asked-about-changes-after-tarlac-killings-roque-says-opposition-should-change-instead

If any change is to come out of the killing of a mother and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac, the president's press secretary said Tuesday that he thinks it should be on the part of the opposition, whose criticism, he said, has become repetitive.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Roque leaned once again on the narrative that concerns over human rights and alleged police brutality are just an attempt by the opposition to discredit the Duterte administration.

"The only test for a police officer to use violence is if there is a threat to his life. It's the opposition who should probably recalibrate because they sound like broken records," the president's spokesman said. 

"Concerns over human rights and alleged police brutality are just an attempt by the opposition to discredit the Duterte administration."

It's funny that Harry Roque could ever utter such a sentiment because he was once a prominent a human rights attorney. The depths to which this man has fallen are unbelievable. He's gone all the way down the black pit towards the lowest circle of hell.

I've written about police reform before and the fact is the PNP has been, now is, and ever will be a corrupt organization. The reforms they enact have been useless to stomp out  corruption within the ranks.  But this is all par for the course. Let s not forget our friend Gaspar de San Augustin who wrote the following 300 years ago:

43. They act tyrannically one toward another. Consequently, the Indian who has some power from the Spaniard is insolent and intolerable among, them—so much so that, in the midst of their ingratitude, some of them recognize it, although very few of them. Yet it is a fact that, if the Spaniards had not come to these islands, the Indians would have been destroyed; for, like fish, the greater would have swallowed the lesser, in accordance with the tyranny which they exercised in their paganism.

http://www.philippinehistory.net/views/1720sanagustinb.htm

Sounds a lot like the PNP today, huh?  A little bit of power and they lord it over their fellowmen. Reform? Never gonna happen.