What did him in was the brutal slaying of teenagers. While the police said they had to do it, the TV footages revealed the opposite. Obviously, the people concluded that because of the seeming unqualified support of the President (Well, what can you make out from the repeated statement “I will pardon the policemen.”), the police have become abusive. So the citizens became afraid and their fear will become stronger as long the perception of police abuses continues.
In a belated attempt at damage control, the whole Caloocan police force was relieved. The policemen involved in the shooting were charged for murder. How serious these moves were remains to be seen. Apparently the damage control has to continue to stem the tide of the people’s growing fear of police abuses. So just last night, it was announced that the war on drugs will now be carried out by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), not the Philippine National Police (PNP) anymore. For good measure, it was also announced just last night that the PNP will concentrate in the cleansing of its ranks. Meaning, getting rid of scalawags.
The seriousness of these or the getting back of the trust of the people on the police or this administration will be determined by the answers to the following questions: What happened to the narcogenerals and the narcopoliticians? As revealed by PDu30 himself, there were so many of them.
If the perception is that nothing happened to them except for one, or two, or three who were gunned down, then the fear continues that this administration was only after the small drug errand boys or the pitiful users. Which can only mean that the war on drugs is not really serious enough.
This was what was meant every time people and the media asked officials why only the poor are being shot to death? So far, those officials who were asked this became suddenly defensive. PNP Chief De La Rosa even went to the extent of telling the whole nation: “Mga ingrato kayo!”
Obviously he did not get the message which is, the trust rating of this administration will continue to plummet as long as the big fish involved in the drug trade remain safe and sound. No matter how much damage control will be implemented.
The same thing will happen as long as the ranks of the police are not seriously cleansed.**