MANILA PHILIPPINES – Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan backs the previous statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give the Philippine National Police (PNP) its own legal department that will help in their case build-up and protect them from possible charges.
According to Yamsuan, a former official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), many suspects were released because of good lawyers.
Something that has been a problem for the PNP for a long time.
“This is an effective solution to the problem of the PNP when they are faced with high-profile cases where the suspects have good lawyers.Instead of the suspect being charged, the police are charged because they lack the guidance and support of legal experts,” according to Yamsuan.
In his second command conference with the PNP, President Marcos ordered that his proposal be studied.
According to the president, this legal department will provide legal assistance to police officers, especially those who cannot afford a lawyer.
Although the agency already has a legal department, in addition to being understaffed, it has been assigned more functions, as revealed by the contract review, which currently can’t handle the number of cases filed against the police.
“In line with the President’s plan, an office or unit manned by lawyers with expertise in criminal law can be set up within the National Police. Its job is to exclusively handle cases and complaints filed against PNP personnel in the performance of their duties,” Yamsuan added.
Yamsuan stated, to complement this move, policemen should be required to use body-worn cameras during police operations when applicable. “This will help protect not only the suspect from harassment and abuse but also police officers from trumped-up charges.