Friday, October 03, 2008 Protect nabbed suspects’ rights, Versoza orders
INVESTIGATORS who fail to prevent angry victims from hitting suspects in front of the media will be relieved and retrained.
This is one of the new policies that Philippine National Police Chief Jesus Versoza wants all units in the country to implement.
Versoza’s command guidelines were discussed during the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7’s fourth quarter command conference yesterday, which the region’s top police officials attended.
Aside from this, Versoza also wants all officers to stop presenting arrested persons to the media “firing squad style.”
Human rights
Roderos said the practice of parading suspects during news conferences will have to be stopped and that police officers who are not able to prevent the hitting of suspects by angry victims will be retrained on human rights policies.
PRO 7 Director Ronald Roderos said, though, that the top leadership of the PNP has yet to issue specific guidelines for these policies.
PNP Chief of Staff Geary Barias has been tasked by Versoza to create the guidelines regarding the new policy.
Exceptions
In the meantime, arrested persons will not be presented to reporters.
While he said he will abide by the order, Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador said there are instances that presenting suspects to the media is necessary.
Revealing the identities of major robbery suspects to the media, said Comendador, would help other victims know about their arrests. That way, other victims may come to the police office and file additional complaints.
“It depends upon the peculiarity of the case,” he said.
If the guidelines are released soon, he said, he can probably he make representations so that his opinion could also be heard.
Presence
Versoza, who replaced retired former PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. last week, wants all commanders to be present in the field.
He also wants to train all commanders, including police station chiefs, in effective leadership.
During his speech at the turnover ceremony, Versoza said he will order a nationwide leadership and organizational development training for all commanders and heads of office to “hone their self-confidence, vision, wisdom, motivational impact and delivery skills.”
Program
Versoza plans to continue with the Torch Run program until next year and implement other programs that would bring pride and honor to the PNP.
He also wants a public information officer (PIO) designated for each unit and police station.
Roderos said that while the chief of police is also the best person to act as PIO, he may not be available 24 hours a day.
But since there is always a problem on the shortage of personnel in the police stations, Roderos said the PIO will most likely double as the police community relations officer. (MEA/With JTG)
