THE leadership of the National Police on Thursday vowed to wage an aggressive, two-pronged “anti-kotong” drive to eliminate petty corruption and extortion activities of law enforcers on the streets.
Director General Nicanor Bartolome, National Police chief, said the police component of the newly formed Interagency Anti-kotong Task Force (IAA-TF) will go after both bribe givers and bribe takers.
The IAA-TF was formally launched at the National Police General Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, on Thursday. Among the participating agencies in the task force are the departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Justice, and Transportation and Communications, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the National Police.
The activation of the IAA-TF coincided with the launching of the DILG’s anti-kotong hot line 0918-8882749 where the public can send information on erring policemen.
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said the information will be treated with “utmost confidentiality.”
“Kotong is a two-way crime where both parties are equally liable as offenders, therefore the law must be applied to both,” Bartolome said.
He cited the criminal liability of bribe givers who voluntarily offer money to law enforcers in exchange for special favors.
“These persons become unknowing participants to an already deep-rooted corrupt practice that we want to eliminate once and for all,” Bartolome added.
He said for so many years, the issue of kotong has evolved into a social problem that already affect household economics.
Bartolome said the amount spent on kotong by traders and viajeros of market commodities adds up to the market cost of these products that are eventually passed on to consumers, including the households of those who directly benefit from kotong.
Bartolome said the Directorate for Operations is set to issue a Letter of Instructions to all police units to operationalize and add more teeth to the National Police’s role in the anti-kotong drive.
Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., National Police spokesman said the force has installed several safety measures into its systems and procedures to eliminate graft and corruption and block possible situations and opportunities for corruption in regular operations. Under the anti-kotong hotline scheme, the public will be asked to call or provide through text messaging information that includes the date, time, place of occurrence, the modus operandi and the identity of the perpetrators.
Based on the reported information, members of the task force will be deployed to conduct discreet surveillance and investigation on their subjects, gather material and other documentary evidence against the perpetrators.
Administrative or criminal cases shall be filed against the erring traffic policemen or local traffic enforcers with the IAA-TF steering committee, Robredo said.
The panel shall evaluate the recommendation and render a decision/action whether to reprimand, transfer, and file administrative or criminal charges against policemen personnel engaged in kotong. The panel’s decision would be forwarded to the Chief PNP for enforcement and/or implementation.
In the case of erring local traffic enforcers, their cases will be referred to the concerned action officers of the MMDA or the local governments for administrative or criminal sanctions. If warranted, the IAA-TF would also pursue the criminal cases of erring local traffic law enforcers.
(With J. Mayuga)
