President Marcos Proposes Legal Department for Philippine National Police

INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has proposed the establishment of a legal department within the Philippine National Police (PNP) to protect officers from harassment and legal challenges. During a command conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday, Marcos instructed the PNP to examine the feasibility of this initiative.

“We’ll create a legal office within the PNP to serve as the defense counsel for any officer facing complaints or criminal charges,” Marcos stated, emphasizing that this internal legal support would be free for police personnel. He noted that some cases are “weaponized” against the police, often by influential groups with substantial resources and access to prominent lawyers.

Marcos highlighted that providing in-house legal assistance would empower officers to perform their duties without fear of legal repercussions. “We need to protect our people,” he said, adding that the new legal department would help level the playing field against powerful adversaries.

The current PNP legal service office reportedly lacks sufficient lawyers to meet the legal needs of police personnel. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo clarified that the command conference was not a loyalty check.

This proposal follows allegations by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV that two police generals were plotting to destabilize the government. Recently, Marcos urged the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to remain professional and committed to their duties.