PNP’s Marquez: Accomplishments not enough to be promoted

Bea Cupin

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PNP’s Marquez: Accomplishments not enough to be promoted
The new chief of the PNP says it’s not enough to be an accomplished officer. ‘Dapat maayos ka rin (You also have to be clean),’ he says.

MANILA, Philippines – For the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), impressive credentials are not enough basis for a police officer’s promotion.

He or she, Director General Ricardo Marquez says, must have character as well.

“No matter how good you are, if you are involved in anomalies, it’s plus 10, minus 10… [that’s a] zero. Hindi ka lang dapat magaling, dapat maayos ka rin (It’s not enough that you’re good. You also have to be clean),” the 4-star general told Rappler in an interview days after he officially assumed the PNP’s top post.

Being free of wrongdoing, Marquez said, is also tied to what he previously said would be the “hallmark” of his tenure: meritocracy, or promotions and assignments made on the basis of accomplishments and track record.

“If somebody commits a crime today, my question is: has he been accused of any wrongdoing in the past [and] how many times? It gives you a red flag. And when you are up for a higher position, that red flag is on record. Those documents should be very helpful,” he added.

Good records-keeping, said Marquez, will be key to making sure promotions are fair – meaning the academy of one’s origin or an officer’s powerful backers – are not huge factors. (IN QUOTES: PNP chief Marquez’ marching orders)

“How was he when he was chief of police? How was he when he was provincial director? How was the crime situation in his province when he was provincial director? How was the elections in his area when he was designated as provincial director?”

“We would like to capture all these things so that during the time when the senior officer placement and promotion board convenes then each and every member would have a ready reference to arrive at an informed decision,” said Marquez. 

The goal, he said, is not just to list down one’s experiences and awards, but to provide a more nuanced account of an officer’s work history.  

“If somebody requested a particular officer to be designated as provincial director then you have a well-crafted, properly prepared document as a basis for discussion. As it is today, there’s no such thing,” he admitted.  

Controversies of the past

The police general’s promise to rid the PNP of the perennial problem of unfair promotions and corrupt officials comes a month after the Ombudsman dismissed several senior police officers – two of them, close friends of President Benigno Aquino III – over an allegedly anomalous deal inked between the police force and a courier company.

Dismissed Director General Alan Purisima, Aquino’s friend since the 80s, was chief of the PNP prior to Marquez. The other dismissed official, Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, was believed to be a shoo-in for the post that Marquez now occupies. Petrasanta had served as aide of Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.

Aquino has been criticized in the past for his tendency to appoint and protect friends in government who later find themselves embroiled in controversy.

For several months, Aquino was Purisima’s staunch defender despite wave after wave of graft and corruption allegations.

But for the police general, the fact that Purisima and other senior commanders are “investigated, jailed, dismissed” is proof that “Daang Matuwid” – the Aquino administration’s tagline for its anti-corruption and good governance platform – has definitely founds its way into the PNP.

Purisima and Petrasanta were dismissed for their alleged involvement in a deal the PNP struck with courier company Werfast to deliver gun licenses to applicants. The PNP eventually ended its deal with Werfast in 2014, following complaints from gun owners.

“I think this has sent a very strong message –  for us to be very careful,” said Marquez.

Bids for procurements in the PNP, for instance, have to be witnessed by “several observers” who are not from the police force, said Marquez. “The downside is that it’s very hard to procure. It takes longer to finish but it’s worth it to make sure that it’s really a graft-free procurement,” he added.

Reforming the internal watchdog 

The police general said he is also in favor of instituting lifestyle checks for officials accused of wrongdoing “to make sure that his assets are not ill-gotten, to make sure that the allegations against him are founded or unfounded.”

At the height of corruption allegations against Purisima, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II had announced that all officers of the PNP – starting from the top generals – would undergo mandatory lifestyle checks.

The announcement has yet to be translated into an actual program.

Roxas would later tell Rappler that they were still looking for a civilian to head the much-hyped lifestyle check. One of the barriers, Roxas said, was that the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS), which investigates and sanctions erring cops, is still being headed by a police general.

Reforming the IAS is among Marquez’ top priorities.

On July 20, Marquez convened the PNP’s adhoc disciplinary committee to think of ways to better the PNP’s internal watchdog.

“I’d like IAS to be on the proactive side. How do we prevent these things from happening again and again? And in some instances, being committed by the same group of people. I’d like to find out why because your intervention is only as good as your assessment of the situation,” said Marquez.

He added, “The pills given by the doctor are only as good as the diagnosis.” – Rappler.com

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Bea Cupin

Bea is a senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics. She's been a journalist since 2011 and has written about Congress, the national police, and the Liberal Party for Rappler.