Checkpoint equality

Chief PNP Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil recently ordered ground personnel manning police checkpoints to inspect both two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles and to put a stop to the discriminatory checks against motorcycle riders.

As simple as the directive may seem, it deserves praise because once in place, criminal elements using cars and trucks will surely hesitate to drive around with weapons and contraband. The process or experience of going through a police inspection will surely remind Filipinos that no one is above the law and hopefully revive respect for the police the same way traffic law enforcement made Metro Manila drivers respect and obey MMDA enforcers.

It goes without saying that Gen. Marbil should require regular if not daily briefing of checkpoint personnel regarding how to properly engage drivers and vehicle owners. This would also be a great opportunity to place women police officers as point persons for engaging drivers.

While it is not always the case, the Chief PNP might want to consider deploying K-9 units at those checkpoints to sniff out drugs, weapons or alcohol abuse. I know from my conversations with PPA general manager Jay Sanitago that their agency has invested in the training and development of K-9 dogs for such times.

Knowing the Filipino psyche, the two things that are disarming if not scary for them are a woman (especially one with a side arm) and a trained K-9 dog. The advantage of K-9s is that police officers won’t have to risk themselves while conducting searches.

On a totally different topic, I hope the Chief PNP could also be proactive about the questionable practice of PNP traffic investigators or desk officers who automatically charge any and all drivers with “reckless imprudence resulting in injury/homicide,” etc., especially when charging the innocent or those who are actually the victim or injured party.

This automatic accusation of and judgment of vehicle drivers without investigating who is actually at fault has made the PNP look stupid or ignorant of the law and ironically, no one from the PNP has ever tried to explain why their personnel acts as such. I sincerely hope Gen. Marbil will either explain it thoroughly or put