Office of Rep. Brian Raymund S. Yamsuan

Bicol Saro partylist

 

PRESS RELEASE:

September 04, 2023

 

 

Amid allegations of misconduct by law enforcers, 

Yamsuan tells  PNP to focus on police education, retraining 

 

 

Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has reminded the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure  the continuing education and training of its uniformed personnel   amid allegations of illegal arrests and other irregularities committed by law enforcers. 

 

Yamsuan said an inquiry held recently by the House Committee on Public Order and Safety showed  that some PNP officers accused of conducting illegal  drug buy-bust operations apparently lacked sufficient knowledge on police operational procedures. 

 

On questioning the team leader  who led an alleged illegal drug buy-bust  operation in San Pedro, Laguna, Yamsuan learned that the former  had never undergone any retraining or refresher course on police operational procedures since he entered the PNP in 2010. 

 

“So in his 13 years in the service, he never underwent the mandatory training required of police officers. This  lack of training and continuing education in the PNP is among the reasons why problems occur during police operations, why there are missteps and irregularities committed,”  Yamsuan said.

 

Proper training would help prevent misconduct among police officers, added Yamsuan, who is a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which supervises over the PNP. 

 

“Huwag nating  alalayan ang mga pulis  kapag nagkamali na. Alalayan  natin sila, turuan sila ng tamang police procedures, bago pa sila mag-conduct ng operations para walang   kinabukasan ang nasisira,” Yamsuan added.   

 

(Don’t help our police officers after they have committed mistakes.  Help them, teach them the proper police procedures before they conduct their operations so that no one’s future would be destroyed).”  

 

At the briefing conducted by the House Committee on Appropriations for the proposed 2024 budget of the DILG, Yamsuan queried the  PNP Chief,  Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.,  on  how  the police organization has been spending its funds for the education and training of its officers.  

 

Yamsuan noted that for 2024, the PNP has proposed a  total budget of P1.26 billion for the education and training of its uniformed personnel, a  decrease of almost 15 percent from the actual appropriations of P1.47 billion given to this same program for 2023.

 

The sum of  P300 million under the PNP’s police education program for 2023 involves training for law enforcement officers conducted by prosecutors and representatives of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help improve evidence gathering and conviction rates in criminal cases. 

 

A report quoting the DOJ said that 80 percent of cases filed by prosecutors are dismissed by the courts because of lack of evidence or due to technicalities. These shortcomings are often committed by law enforcers at the scene of the crime. 

 

Yamsuan said he would fully  support the PNP if it needs  additional funding for its police education program next year.

 

The lawmaker told Acorda about the apparent lack of knowledge of police  officers about their  operational procedures, despite the budget given to the PNP for education and training. 

 

Yamsuan cited anew as an example the police officer who admitted during the hearing of the public order and safety committee that he had never undergone any retraining  or refresher course on police operational procedures since becoming a member of the PNP. 

 

Acorda, for his part, said that such an admission was “alarming” and that the PNP would check why the officer had never undergone any training  despite the fact that  this is mandatory for  all PNP uniformed personnel. 

 

The PNP chief said that mandatory training is required for officers applying for promotion. “Specialization” training is also offered by the PNP to all its uniformed personnel, Acorda added.

 

“This is precisely the problem with the PNP now,” Yamsuan told Acorda. “The PNP encounters problems with illegal arrests, entrapments,  drug buy busts  in the conduct of their operations.” 

 

“Lawyers are required to undergo  MCLE (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education), I think,   every two or three years. How come law enforcers appear not to have this kind of continuing education when this is very important, especially when the PNP is constantly scrutinized, placed under a microscope when performing their duties?” Yamsuan added. ### wantta join us? sure, manure...