THE Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership headed by Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr. on Tuesday fully welcomed Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr.’s vows to ensure the protection of policemen being slapped with so-called harassment suits while performing legitimate anti-criminality operations especially against illegal drugs.

A former Mandaluyong City mayor and lawyer, Abalos promised to create a team that would help cops facing legal battles to prevent PNP personnel from being demoralized as they battle moneyed or influential accusers.

The DILG said that if the police officers involved in legal cases did their job correctly, he will have the team assess the evidence and help solve the issue since he knows from direct experience that police officers who are not demoralized are the ones who provide good service to the country and to the people.

“Hindi ako papayag ma-demoralize ang ating mga pulis, gagawa ako ng sistema to raise funds, titignan ko ito, kung nasa lugar at tama naman I will create a team to evaluate the evidence, ‘wag kayong mag-alala,” the DILG head said.

Danao has expressed full support to the plans of Abalos and has asked the PNP Legal Service to make full coordination with the Office of the DILG chief regarding the matter.

Danao has designated Colonel Arthur R. Llamas as OIC of the PNP-Legal Service vice Brigadier Gen. George L. Almaden last week. Almaden was ordered administratively relieved by Danao pending an ongoing internal investigation regarding some legal matters, Journal Group sources said.

Abalos said has vowed to further improve the PNP legal assistance program. “Tutulungan ko ang mga kapulisyahan I want you never to be demoralized, akin with our duty to uphold the law, to make sure that there is peace and order in our country,” he said.

The DILG chief recalled that during the time he was Mandaluyong mayor, his administration had several good new police officers who were willing to join anti-narcotics operations of the Mandaluyong City Police Drug Enforcement Unit.

However, he said that the officers were challenged by alleged trumped-up charges filed against them by arrested drug personalities as they have to use their salaries for legal assistance.

“At alam ko ako’y naging mayor noon, no’n kami’y merong DEU, marami sa DEU namin sumasama, bago, neophyte, sasama sa raid, ano’ng gagawin no’ng mga drug pushers na mayayaman? Gagawan ng kaso na hindi naman totoo,” Abalos said.

“So ‘yong pobreng pulis makikita ko talaga, talagang tama naman ang ginawa, mabait ‘yong tao, ‘yong kanyang sweldo pinangbabayad pa sa abugado. ‘Yong kanyang oras nando’n sa PLEB (People’s Law Enforcement Board), naghi-hearing, at anytime kinakabahan baka matanggal sa serbisyo,” he explained.

This is the reason why those officers have been afraid of joining anti-narcotics operations lest they be slapped with additional harassment suits that will endanger their future.

“Ano’ng nangyari? Susunod na raid ayaw na sumama, nagpapa-alam, ayaw na sa DEU. Alam kong alam niyo, na-experiensya niyo ‘to, dahil ang kalaban natin ay pera, kalaban natin ay mga milyonaryo, malaking industriya ito,” the DILG secretary said.

“Pero hindi tayo papatalo dahil ito’y kinabukasan ng ating mga anak, mga apo, at kinabukasan ng ating bansa,” he added.

In 2013, then Mayor Abalos also vowed to raise a legal aid fund for similarly-situated policemen although he assured the Mandaluyong police force then that the program would not make them fully indebted to the local government as local officials would not interfere in operations.

Records showed in that in 2013, Abalos said his office would start raising funds—the money coming from businessmen and other private donors –to provide legal assistance to local policemen who are being “harassed” with criminal charges filed by people they had crossed in the line of duty, especially moneyed drug lords.

In support of the plan, the then Mandaluyong City police chief noted that the lawyers provided by the PNP could use some help from more “experienced” attorneys.

Abalos said then that he wants the formation of a committee composed of a representative from the city’s legal department, the chief of police, and possibly the city council—to approve the release of funds based on certain parameters.

To be checked by the committee are ‘service-related’ cases filed against their policemen in order for them to get the legal assistance.

“If the committee finds that the policeman rightfully performed his duty, we will pay for his legal expenses,” he said then while adding that the city government may even assign its own team of lawyers to the case.

Abalos last week told Camp Crame officers and men that the war on drugs will continue under his watch, this time with greater focus on building up strong cases against illegal drug suspects to ensure that no cases will be dismissed and they will be spending the rest of their lives behind bars.

He also cited practices in the City of Mandaluyong that can be injected and emulated to improve the Department’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, such as the hiring of personnel solely dedicated to accompanying law enforcers in anti-illegal drug operations to stand as witnesses in court and to augment the building up of cases against drug suspects.

“These are the kind of practices na gagawin natin at hihingin ko sa mga gobernador, sa mga mayor ng Pilipinas,” Abalos said.

The newly-installed DILG Secretary also assured the PNP of adequate legal support should they face trumped-up cases while on the line of duty.

“Hindi ako papayag na mademoralize ang ating mga pulis. Gagawa ako ng sistema, titignan ko ito. Kung nasa lugar at tama naman, I will create a team to evaluate the evidence. Huwag kayong mag-alala tutulungan ko ang ating kapulisan,” he said.