Default Thumbnail

Jinggoy wants law vs illegal sale, use of law enforcement uniforms

May 29, 2023 PS Jun M. Sarmiento 151 views

ANYONE posing as a member and using the uniforms of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), or the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) should be fined as much as P20,000 and jailed for ten years, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said.

Estrada also said any persons who will be found to be engaged in the “unauthorized” manufacture and sale of these uniforms, including the production of the textile of the said uniforms, should be made to pay a fine of P5,000 to P10,000 and imprisonment of two to five years or both.

Estrada has introduced Senate Bill (SB) No. 2151, proposing amendments to Republic Act (RA) 493, which he said would serve as a strong deterrent against “fake” policemen and military personnel, especially those illegally using the uniforms to commit crimes.

“Makailang beses nang napabalita ang mga pang-extort, kidnapping, pangho-holdup, maging ang pag-ambush ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno ng mga pekeng pulis at miyembro ng military. Panahon na para isama sa pangangasiwa ng mga namumuno sa PNP, AFP maging ng secretaries ng Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at Transportation (DOTr) ang tamang paggamit ng uniporme at masawata ang mga nagkukunwaring mga alagad ng batas,” Estrada said.

“As the defense establishment and our uniformed personnel strive hard to cleanse their ranks of corrupt members, the illegal use of their uniform by people who do not belong to the organization and posing as legitimate members while doing unlawful activities cause problems to the entire force and negatively affect the people’s trust and confidence on authorities,” he also said.

In moving to amend the provisions of RA 493, the law prohibiting the use or conferring of military or naval grades or titles by or upon persons not in service of the AFP and the PNP, Estrada said the prevailing policies and light penalties have failed to deter the public from “misusing” and “abusing” the uniform of law enforcers and protectors of the people and the State.

“This bill proposes to protect the image of the AFP and the PNP as a unified, well-disciplined, and respectable organization, by updating and clarifying RA 493, which was enacted in 1950, to specifically include in the prohibition the wearing of the uniform of military and police personnel by those not in the service of the AFP and the PNP. This measure proposes longer jail terms and heavier fines for violators of the law, hopefully, to serve as a more effective deterrent,” the senator said.

Under the existing law, the penalties for those who misrepresent themselves as a policeman or soldier are fined P2,000 to P5,000 and imprisoned for two to five years.