jilibay EDITORIAL - Zero casualty
Newly installed in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Secretary Jonvic Remulla is making the right noises so far. The devil, as we know in this country, is in attaining objectives and delivering on the promises.
Yesterday, the second Remulla in the Cabinet said he is aiming for “zero casualty” in the 2025 election season. His department has supervision over the Philippine National Police. Remulla also said he wanted to insulate from politics assignments and promotions in the PNP, making the system merit-based. He quickly amended this, however, saying local government executives would still have a say in the selection of the chiefs of police in their jurisdictions, as provided by law.
Reacting to his statement, PNP officials pointed out that the national police has the Senior Officers’ Placement and Promotion Board to see to it that assignments and promotions are based on merit rather than political patronage.
Remulla, who served as Cavite governor before joining the Cabinet, however, has a more realistic appreciation of the situation. Politicians – and not just local government executives – along with certain special interest groups do influence assignments and promotions in the PNP. It’s not uncommon for PNP officers to end up serving as the private armies of politicians. This is illustrated by the recent beef of Vice President Sara Duterte over the pullout of 75 PNP members from her massive security contingent, leaving her with less than 400. She said those pulled out had either been with her since 2007 or served as security for her father since he became president in 2016.
State security forces serving as private bodyguards of politicians are among the biggest perpetrators of election violence nationwide. Being law enforcement or security officers, they have government-issued firearms that are not covered by election gun bans, and they can harass their principals’ political rivals in the guise of carrying out security operations. In November 2009, the Ampatuans of Maguindanao deployed such security forces to massacre 58 people in a convoy on its way to file the certificate of candidacy of a man who dared to challenge the clan’s hold on power in the impoverished province.
If Jonvic Remulla wants zero casualty in the 2025 pollsjilibay, he would have to dismantle such private armies. It must not be done selectively, with administration allies exempted. When the election season is over, promotions and assignments in the PNP can then take into account those who managed to deliver on the zero casualty aspiration.