Res Gestae
PNP's Alert Status is the country's peace and order status
Alert status being declared by the Philippine National Police does not only speak of the level of preparation that every police unit must undertake. It also implies the present peace and order situation of the country.
Hence, once we heard of the PNP being placed on Full Alert Status, we must already be alarmed of the situations happening in the country. It is so because Full Alert Status indicates that the national security is under threat. When the PNP is in Full Alert Status, the environment is characterized by large-scale acts of violence, sabotage, riots and other forms of violence, civil disturbance, rallies, demonstrations and nationwide mass actions.
Same understanding comes to mind when a PNP Regional or Provincial Director declares Full Alert Status in his area of responsibility.
For those who are unfamiliar of the practice, the PNP has three alert levels: Normal, Heightened, and Full. Each alert level is defined with parameters or conditions as justifications for its declaration. It means that while the Chief, PNP or Regional/Provincial Director has discretion to declare any of the alert level, he must nevertheless observe reasonableness of the declaration.
With reasonableness, I mean, the bases of his declaration of certain alert status must at least be approximated to the standard parameters set forth in the PNP Guidelines of Alert Status.
This premise prompts me to ask this question: "Is the failure of the PNP Chief or Regional/Provincial Director to observe the "reasonableness principle" tantamount to lack or abuse of discretion?"
If it is, then I submit that the then Regional Director of Police Regional Office 6 and now retired Police Chief Superintendent Doroteo Reyes had violated the principle.
I have two points to prove my case: 1) throughout the stint of Reyes, the whole Western Visayas was placed under Full Alert Status, and 2) in his report and interviews with the tri-media, he claimed that Western Visayas was relatively peaceful and orderly. These inconsistent claims clearly imply that Reyes had abused the exercise of his discretion.
I considered that an abuse because Reyes's declaration of Full Alert Status did not correspond to the prevailing peace and order situation of Western Visayas. And, if we can recall, Western Visayas during the time of Reyes (and even before or after his term) was relatively very peaceful and orderly.
I am pounding on this argument because if the top brass of the PNP fails to observe the proper use of alert status, he may not only mis-educating his personnel but also misleading the public.
The PNP cannot just say it is on Full Alert when there is no reason for declaring such. It must consider that such declaration could create adverse effects in the disposition of PNP personnel, members of other law enforcement agencies, and the investors.
The PNP must be reminded that the alert status is a barometer of peace and order situation. Also, it must always consider that alert status indicates the intensity of pro-active security measures being implemented to prevent the occurrence of violence and other threats to peace and order. Therefore, any declaration of certain alert level (and the discretion in the exercise thereof) must comply with the standard parameters, or at least be guided with the principle of reasonableness. This is so because as the title of this article goes "PNP Alert Status is the country's peace and order status."
(Send your comments and suggestions to rogatepnp@yahoo.com.)