The firepower of 200 hundred cops to serve an order of dismissal is an abusive use of force, Senator Ralph Recto said of the incident involving Governor Tupas who barricaded himself inside the Iloilo capitol building.
A man who submitted himself to the publics verdict in an election involving millions of voters seems more than just a reasonable man. It did not do any good that his family was subjected to such intimidation, Recto said.
The action-packed service of the order of dismissal is now a melodrama with the governor gaining public sympathy.
Recto explained the it may be a very thin line that divides reasonable force from excessive force, but cops, and certainly their chiefs, ought to know it.
We need to warn police officers against use of excessive force. A cop may have the right to use force as is reasonably necessary in the performance of his duties but his right is limited by a citizens right, and that includes Governor Tupas, to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.
At the very least, the 48-hour deadline should have been observed.
Recto advised that as the election season heats up, cooler heads must prevail. The arm of the law should all the more remember to use force prudently though firmly.
Recto recommended that to prevent similar incidents from occurring whatever the situation and not just limited to the service of dismissal orders, we may have to call in experts to screen violence-prone candidates and prevent their entry into the police forces nationwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment