DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A provincial secretary of the Department of Tourism in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said their region is not a place for rogue cops.
“Hindi basurahan ang ARMM (ARMM is not a trash bin),” said Ayesha Mangundadato–Dilangalen, DOT-ARMM secretary when asked of her reaction on the reassignment of rogue policemen to ARMM.
Last year, more than 50 policemen have been re-assigned to ARMM and just this month, another three policemen from Quezon city were slated to be re-assigned after extorting money from a suspect’s family.
Mangundadato–Dilangalen said the ARMM is rich in people culture, “hindi tapunan ng masasamang pulis (not a trashbin for rogue cops).”
ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman had already asked the government to reconsider sending police to their province.
Just like Mangundadato–Dilangalen, Hataman said the government should instead send the best police and not the police scalawags.
Discriminating
A Moro woman leader also said that the practice of the Philippine National Police of reassigning police to ARMM is a “discriminating policy.”
“It is discrimination to the Moro people, it shows how the government and the PNP look at us,” said Bai Ali Indayla, Kawagib secretary general.
“Porke tingin nila mga bandido, terrorista, dautan ang katawhang Moro mao kana ila policy? (Is it because they see Moro people as bandits, terrorists, that’s why they take that as their policy?)” Indayla asked.
Indayla said that instead of deploying rogue cops, “why not hold them accountable for their wrongdoings?”
Not holding the rogue police accountable, according to Indayla, manifests the culture of impunity in the country.
“The police who are involved in the cases can just get away with their sins because they are not punished and held accountable by the government,” Indayla said.
Worsening crisis
The Moro leader also said that the reassignment of rogue cops in the region will only exacerbate the problem, not solve it considering the causes of the rising criminality and unrest is poverty and landlessness of the people.
ARMM has been considered as one of the poorest regions in the country. Most of the provinces found in the region belong to the top 20 poorest provinces in the country.
“Poverty will not be solved through this process,” Indayla added.(davaotoday.com)
