The government never tolerates rape of drug suspects – The Manila Times

RAMON T. TULFO

YES, there were some reports of rape by policemen involved in the war on drugs despite the blanket denial of the spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP) but these have been addressed and the culprits punished.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reported that Philippine law enforcers were involved in the rape of women arrested in the drug war.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the PNP mouthpiece, said the rape claims of the ICC were unfounded and devoid of truth from the beginning.

One drug related-rape took place in Sampaloc, Manila last year when a 15-year-old girl was raped by a rookie cop, who arrested both her parents for drug pushing.

But the culprit, Patrolman Eduardo Valencia, was severely punished and humiliated in public by Maj.Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Guilor Eleazar, then the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Valencia has since been kicked out of the service and is now detained while facing charges of rape.

So, just because women arrested on drug charges were raped by their police captors does not mean that the government tolerates the rape of drug suspects.

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Since 2015, there have been 43 rape cases filed against policemen that have been reported but most of them did not involve women who were arrested on drug charges, according to records.

And those reported cases were acted upon by the PNP.

Of the 43 rape cases, only 14 policemen-culprits have been dismissed from the service so far, a sad commentary on the brand of discipline within the Philippine National Police.

In most of those cases, the women were reportedly visiting husbands or other relatives who were detained for various offenses other than drugs.

Many of these women, who were detained, were enticed by policemen and jail guards.

But these reports are not so shocking, considering the ill discipline within the PNP and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

In the case of the rape of the 15-year-old girl, the suspect, Patrolman Valencia, justified his offense by claiming that raping female drug suspects was normal practice among policemen.

In Patrolman Valencias own words, Sir, hindi na po bago sa aming mga operatiba yung ganoon (Raping drug suspects or their relatives is nothing new among police operatives).

Valencia was addressing General Eleazar when he said that.

Sanamagan!

* * *

For the nth time, Im calling on President Digong to appoint Eleazar as the next PNP chief.

Eleazar, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class 1987, brooks no abusive behavior among the police rank and file, as well as in the officers corps.

Millions were witness to how Eleazar would beat up Metro Manila policemen who were involved in heinous crimes such as robbery, rape and murder even in front of reporters when he was NCRPO chief.

Eleazar didnt do that for show; reporters who covered him as NCRPO chief knew he was upset and could not hold his temper.

The country needs him at the helm of the PNP.

With three years to go before he retires in 2022 that is, if he gets appointed now and with his brand of discipline, Eleazar will be able to create mechanisms that could make our policemen among the most disciplined in the world.

* * *

In last Saturdays column, I wrote that retired Lt. Gen. Alexander Par Aguirre was indisputably in my opinion the most honest and incorruptible police officer of the defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC).

The PC is the forerunner of the PNP.

But Aguirre, my uncle-in-law (he married my mothers youngest sister Chit) vehemently takes issue with my saying that he was found to have a mistress.

Hi Mon, your compliments about my service record is fair, but the postscript you wrote is absolutely untrue. I will never do that or anything that will hurt your Auntie Chit and our reputation as good and loving husband and wife, Uncle Alex said in a text message to me.

Why am I smiling?

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The government never tolerates rape of drug suspects - The Manila Times