Dela Rosa asks bishops not conduct “fishing expedition” on police force

October 3, 2017

Philippine National Police  Director General Ronald Dela Rosa asked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) not to conduct a "fishing expedition" on the police force following the statement of CBCP President President Archbishop Socrates Villegas some law enforcers' have approached them to reveal their knowledge on extra judicial killings.

"I don't know about that information... but hopefully they will not make it a fishing expedition. If that is true, then they should present them in the Senate, take an affidavit and present in the Senate not like they are doing fishing expedition so they can say that there is something like this and attract people to go there.", Dela Rosa said in an ambush interview in LRT-2.

Villegas said on Monday some law enforcers have approached members of the clergy and "expressed their desire to come out in the open about their participation in extrajudicial killings and summary executions".

He said the church is willing to protect the law enforcers and their families if necessary.

Dela Rosa said profiles of the police officers who went to the CBCP should be verified.

"That is really needed because we we are talking about testimonies. How can it be credible if their source is questionable?", he said.

Dela Rosa said if the policemen who seek protection from the CBCP will not report on duty. They can be Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) as stated in the policy of the PNP.

"We have to abide by the rules. If they will be AWOL then they should face that. They enter, they swear to serve and protect and follow rules and regulations so by whatever purpose that they went there, they hide there and will not report for duty then they will be AWOL", he said.

"That's the policy but it doesn't mean that we are going to stop them. We just implement what is being implemented, the policy of the PNP", he added. Alanna Ambi/DMS