It took a brutal murder of a South Korean business executive to make President Duterte finally realize that a PNP clean up must happen for his anti drug war to succeed. We have been saying that the criminals in police uniform will simply take advantage of the drug war to victimize people. That’s exactly what is happening.

The country’s honor was tarnished by this gruesome murder. It showed the deterioration of our values as a people to have allowed members of our police force to descend to this level of depravity.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines aptly summarized their pain and their challenge to us: “In South Korea, we strongly protect the welfare and respect almost 50,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW); we expect and hope the Philippine authorities… assure the safety and welfare of Koreans in the Philippines.”

Oo nga naman. How would we feel if the situation was reversed and our OFWs are being abused and killed in Korea by their police in their police headquarters?

Our President and the PNP chief ignored very visible signs of trouble. Two police officers, graduates of the PNPA, were caught red handed in Mindoro after they killed a local anti crime crusader. One of them was awarded as an outstanding officer just weeks before by no less than the PNP chief.

Drug suspects, a father and son, were killed in police custody in Pasay City. A tricycle driver pretended to be dead as police officers in Malate fired shots at him after days in captivity. Of course we have read the headlines of how a mayor was killed while in jail in Leyte.

And Sen. Ping Lacson showed CCTV recording of police officers planting shabu in an office they subsequently raided. Sen. Lacson said they also extorted money from the owner of the office.

What happened to the Korean executive was not a rare case. The PNP announced removing seven police officers from the Angeles PNP for victimizing South Koreans here to play golf by kidnapping them and extorting money from them.

Surely, Bato must have known all a good number of men under his command are criminals. It should have been obvious that removing the criminals in their ranks is a top priority.

And let us stop calling these criminals in uniform scalawags. Here is how Google defines the word: scal·a·wag – a person who behaves badly but in an amusingly mischievous rather than harmful way. There is nothing amusing or harmless about these criminals in uniform.

While we welcome President Duterte’s order to clean up the PNP, we can only ask, why only now? But at least, President Duterte eventually listened. One lost Korean life did what more than seven thousand Filipino lives failed to do… convince PDutz the rot eating up the PNP is untenable.

It was his fault. He kept on saying that he believes his police officers, right or wrong and that no police officer will go to jail or if they do, he will go to jail with them. The rogues in uniform took that as a carte blanche to do anything, even criminal acts like kidnapping, extortion and murder.

It is not enough to suspend the criminals in uniform because that means they are still roam around freely and get salaries funded by the taxpayers they victimize. Neither should they be reassigned to Mindanao because Mindanao deserves better.

They have to speed up resolution of cases now pending in the PNP Internal Affairs office. I understand that the unit has an overload of cases and needs help. They should ask respected former officers like Gen. Benjie Magalong to help clear the cases.

Still, the President’s order to clean up the PNP is a confidence builder. Depending on how they carry it out, it will bring back the public’s trust. I am sure that this will also go a long way to encourage investments assuming the drive is credibly executed.

In the meantime, we should put up a marker in that PNP parking lot near the PNP chief’s official residence where the Korean was strangled. It will remind the men and women of the PNP, most of whom I want to believe are trustworthy, that evil lurks in their midst and they must fight it.

Bicol airport

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda posted an observation on Facebook that reinforces my fear that the bureaucracy will kill the plans of the Duterte administration to build build build. Let us hear it from Reo. Joey who is complaining about how DOTr is mishandling the Bicol International Airport project.

“I bumped into Usec Bobby Lim (from Daraga) and I asked him why they allowed the SARO to lapse without awarding especially since the President visited last December 2nd week. Phase 2B covering the passenger terminal building (PTB) was funded by two SAROs (P1.4bn and P400m) which were bid out in one.

“The P400m expired so the DOTr decided to rebid which will postpone the construction by another six months. They knew all along that the P400m SARO will be expiring and should have sought GPPB / DBM assistance.

“But for some heavenly reason, they merrily allowed the SARO to lapse. This forced the failure of bidding which would undermine the President’s commitment to deliver the completed international airport in three years.

“I have met Secretary Art Tugade so many times in official functions and as many times he promised me decisive action on the Bicol International Airport in Daraga.

“It has been 12 years since the airport became a line item in the GAA (budget) in 2005 when I was the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations – it was for the finalization of the FSDE and consequent years under PGMA for ROWA (right of way acquisition).

“Albay province supervised the acquisition of the lot for a mere P28/sqm. The Aquino administration froze the project for review for three years. After our repeated follow up that after three years it was approved for P4.7 billion funding. But then it took them all of the rest of the term without awarding the project.

“The DOTr has always ended up with almost 90 percent of their SAROs lapsing. What evil spirits are there inside the DOTr that despite the change in top management and the presidential admonition and instruction to finish it in three years that still the gross incompetence is insidious, ingrained, inbred and virtually intentional?”

I agree with Rep. Joey that the failure of DOTr to build that airport is holding back the economic development of the entire Bicol region. I am sure the DOTr bureaucrats will have a litany of excuses as always. But over 12 years to build a regional airport is simply horrible. They have built large international airports abroad in less time.

When asked about Rep. Joey’s complaint, Secretary Art replied: “there is misunderstanding on Rep. Salceda’s account. There is no delay.” Hmmm… I think that means Secretary Art is taking personal responsibility and guarantees meeting the three-year deadline.

Today is the first day of February 2017. Seven months into the Duterte administration, we have yet to see infrastructure projects being implemented out there in the field and not in some bureaucrat’s desk.

DOTr’s Tugade and DPWH’s Mark Villar may end up with clean records, as in no projects delivered. I can understand why Villar will play it safe the way Mar Roxas did. No projects, no scandal.

Villar will supposedly run for senator in the mid-term election in 2019 so he has to be careful. But he may be too careful for his own good. Where are those bridges across Pasig River and the flyovers in Katipunan to relieve traffic congestion?

As for Tugade, being DOTr Secretary is his swan song. It caps a good career of a self made man. It cannot end up in failure just because some bureaucrats under him allowed a SARO or two to lapse out of negligence or simply out of habit.

The golden age of infrastructure must start to happen and not just in press releases or power point presentations. Otherwise, what differentiates Villar and Tugade from Mar Roxas and Jun Abaya?

Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/02/01/1667801/last…-pnp-clean