THE Philippine National Police can play a big role in ending the discrimination against Muslims – including the tagging of criminals as Muslims and the alleged continued serving of food with pork to Muslim persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the PNP Custodial Center.
Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla stressed this Monday following the foiled hostage-taking of former Sen. Leila de Lima at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
“Nananawagan po ako, nagpapakumbaba, kay Sir PNP Chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. na maglunsad po ng malawakang education drive para imulat po ang mga pulis natin, na ating mga bayani, sa mga usaping ito. Naniniwala po ako sa napakalaking papel na maaaring gampanan ng ating bayaning pulis upang matigil na ang diskriminasyon – na sa napakahabang panahon po ay hindi pa namin nakakamit. Hindi pa rin po ito natutuldukan (I humbly call on the PNP leadership under PNP chief P/Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to launch an education drive to guide our heroic policemen. I believe our police can play a key role in ending the discrimination, something that has yet to be achieved),” Padilla said at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs.
Padilla again expressed his dismay over videos on social media where police responding to the hostage-taking referred to the perpetrators as “Muslims.”
He reiterated his call to the PNP leadership to launch an education drive on the use of the word “Muslim.”
“Bagamat tayo po ay nagagalak na ligtas si Senadora de Lima at patuloy na nananalangin sa paggaling ng nasugatang pulis sa insidente, hindi ko mapigilang mapansin sa video ang paulit-ulit na pagtukoy na ‘mga Muslim’ ang hostage-takers (While we are glad that Sen. de Lima is safe and we continue to pray for the recovery of the wounded policeman, I cannot but notice that some policemen referred to the hostage takers as Muslims),” Padilla said angrily.
“Hangad kong malaman ng lahat na hindi ginagamit ang salitang Muslim sa pagtukoy sa isang tao, lalo’t may kinalaman sa krimen o terorismo. May pangalan po ang mga taong ito. Mas mainam po na identify po natin sila hindi sa kanyang relihiyon dahil wala pong kinalaman ang relihiyon dito (I want to let everyone know that Muslim is not used to describe a person, especially when referring to a criminal or terrorist. These people have names, why not identify them through their names instead of their religion because religion has nothing to do with it),” he added. “Kung ang alagad ng batas ay humusga ng bansag sa isang relihiyon, para saan pa po ang babaeng nakapiring ang mga mata at may hawak na timbangan (If our law enforcers can judge people based on their religion, what is Lady Justice for)?”
Meanwhile, Padilla expressed worry over de Lima’s reported statement indicating that some inmates were allegedly treated like animals and are still being served food with pork – which is not allowed in Islam.
“Ang paksang tungkol sa angkop na pagkain sa loob ng ating mga presuhan ay ilang ulit ko na pong itinanong sa kinauukulan – ngunit ang palagiang sagot na atin pong nakukuha ay: may angkop na pagkain, sang-ayon sa kanilang paniniwala, na ibinibigay sa ating mga persons deprived of liberty o PDLs. Sa tamang panahon, muli ko pong bubuksan ang talakaying ito (I have repeatedly touched on this issue of pork being served but I have been told that the authorities are sensitive to the PDLs’ religion in serving food. At the right time I will take this up again),” he said.
