‘One-strike’ policy for PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday announced that it will be unforgiving to personnel who will be caught committing unlawful acts this holiday season, one of its top officials said.

According to PLt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, a “one strike policy” will be imposed on chiefs of police and commanders who will fail to resolve within 24 hours complaints and cases reported to them for the duration of the yuletide season.

He explained that penalties will be imposed on police who will be involved in incidents like illegal use of firecrackers and indiscriminate firing of firearms — licensed or otherwise — by civilians or uniformed personnel.

The PNP’S ultimate target is to reduce the 33 incidents of indiscriminate firing and 12 cases of stray bullet injuries recorded last year to zero during the holidays, according to Cascolan.

“Basically, all our initiatives this holiday season will be for anti-criminality, anti-illegal drugs, ISO or internal security operations, and anti-terrorism,” Cascolan said. “We will continue to operate against rogue policemen and against drug personalities, most especially high-value targets this holiday season.”

The entire police force shall also put in place the Enhanced-Managing Police Operations (E-MPO) Strategy that encompasses other operational campaigns on law enforcement and public safety, and internal security.

This will mostly be for the monitoring of the local communist movement, particularly the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) which will celebrates its founding anniversary on 26 December.