Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson Sr. on Wednesday urged the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to dismiss at least seven policemen caught firing their guns during the holiday season celebrations.
Lacson, who went hard after rogue cops when he headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, said these policemen are “scumbags” who showed no regard for life.
“What if someone got hit and died, or paralyzed? Damn these scumbags! They have no purpose in life, really. Give them the boot ASAP, chief,” the senator, apparently addressing PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde, said in a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday evening.
Lacson also stressed the need for the PNP to sustain its internal cleansing efforts, pointing out that rogue cops “do not deserve to stay a minute longer in the police service.”
On New Year’s Day, Albayalde said seven police officers now face administrative cases for indiscriminate firing during the holidays.
The PNP said the seven are among the 23 “trigger-happy gun holders” who face raps for firing their guns between December 16, 2018, and early morning of January 1, 2019.
Albayalde said the 23 gun holders were involved in 26 reported incidents of illegal discharge of firearms.
Other than the seven policemen, also arrested were two government officials, one soldier, 10 civilians, two security guards and one law-enforcement agent, the PNP said.
Lacson earlier deplored the abuses committed by some PNP personnel, amid an unprecedented salary hike for military and uniformed personnel, in compliance with Joint Resolution 1.
With such benefits, he said “there is every reason for right-thinking police officers to love and secure their profession, not to mention to be motivated enough to show a debt of gratitude to their Commander in Chief who made an almost impossible legislation to pass.” With PNA