Brigadier General Debold Sinas (right) with Senator Panfilo Lacson (left) at the PRO-7 headquarters. CDN Digital photo | Gerard Vincent Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be given a chance to justify their recent Synchronized Enhanced Managing Police Operations (SEMPO) in Negros Oriental on March 30, 2019, which killed 14 suspected members of Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Lacson said that the public should let the investigations carry on in order to identify if some members of the police force did abuse their power.
“Let’s give our policemen the chance to prove that the operation was legitimate,” said Lacson, who was in Cebu to donate equipment to the Central Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO-7).
Read more: Negros Oriental police chief, 3 other officials relieved over ops that killed 14
Lacson believes the operations were legitimate as they were covered by a search warrant, but he agreed that there must be an investigation on whether some of the police “went beyond their duty.”
He said that unless such acts are proven, the public must protect the police, who, in turn, have been protrcting the public from the alleged insurgents.
“We should all protect them and keep their morale high. Let us not make them feel abandoned,” said the senator.
Extorted
Lacson also urged the PNP to improve its intelligence to identify the officials who are supporting the insurgents.
He said that there is a possibility that these officials were extorted by the insurgents to support them in exchange for a safe campaign.
Read more: Sinas: PNP welcomes investigation on Negros Oriental operation
“This is a challenge of the intelligence unit. Whoever are these local officials, we need to validate If found out to be true, we should run after them,” Lacson said.
Lacson said the Senate is working on ammending the Human Security Act in order to strengthen the government’s defense against terrorists and insurgents. /bmjo