Robredo eyes zero backlog in cases vs cops in 2011

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo wants the more than 2,000 pending cases against policemen resolved within the year. There are currently 2,721 administrative cases filed against police officers before the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which Robredo chairs. "By the end of January 2011, we are targeting a zero backlog on administrative cases against police officers, with a time frame of 30 days in resolving future cases," Robredo said during his New Year’s call at Camp Crame, headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP), in Quezon City. The PNP is under the supervision of the DILG. According to Robredo, Napolcom has already started disposing off cases at the rate of 60 per month from the previous 20 cases per month, or a 200-percent increase. He said the Napolcom and the DILG have taken in at least six additional lawyers from the department’s legal department and from the private sector. A P5-million fund has already been earmarked for the endeavor, said Robredo, a former Naga City mayor who bagged the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000. He said the fund would primarily be used to give proper legal assistance to police officers facing administrative cases in the provinces. "Whether we admit it or not, mahina kami sa probinsya... kapag sinabi na he is qualified, bibigyan namin sya nga abogado (We have to concentrate in the provinces. As long as the policeman is qualified, we will provide him with legal assistance)," he said. Robredo said he was referring only to cases filed before the Napolcom and not those lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman. "These lawyers are streamlining the process [para] hindi yung parang forum shopping na magkakagulo pa (to avoid chaos and prevent forum shopping)," Robredo said, adding that cases will no longer be tossed around among a number of agencies, which he said usually contributes to the delay. "In so far as we are concerned, isa na lang beses ka magsampa ng kaso (the filing of a case should be done only once)," he said. Citing as an example the Naga police chief at the time he was still mayor of the city, Robredo said administrative cases could sometimes be used to "harass" police officials. "[My chief of police] was suspended for a year at ang kaso ay noong nanghuli siya ng drug dealer, tapos siya pa yung nabalikan (after a case was filed against him for arresting an alleged drug dealer)," he said. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV