Bill requiring police officers to undergo mandatory annual neuro-psychiatric and drug test
Bill requiring police officers to undergo mandatory annual neuro-psychiatric and drug test
Health
care is at the top of everyone’s mind these days even our health well-being. We
watch what we eat, we exercise, and we do all the things necessary to monitor
our physical health but what about our mental health?
Two
years ago, a viral video of a police officer firing his gun at point-blank
range against two defenseless civilians spread throughout various social media
platforms and shocked the country.
The
police cop was identified as Police Master Sergeant (PMSgt) Jonel Nuezca, who
was off-duty at the time the incident took place and with at least six (6)
administrative cases before the said incident, two of which involved grave
misconduct involving homicide.
Senator
Imee Marcos has cautioned that if the existing law requiring psychological
testing on police personnel stays insufficient, the recent murder of an old
woman by a police master sergeant may not be the last.
“A
police master sergeant has killed an unarmed civilian for the second time.
Although the incidents of Nuezca and, more recently, (Hensie) Zinampan may be
considered isolated, should we wait for more?”
Marcos came up with the question.
Marcos
also asked the PNP Chief to examine Zinampan’s immediate superior, which,
according to R.A. 8551, “should be an automated process” to identify
flaws in administration or supervision.
This,
together with several other police-related crimes in recent years, caused fear,
shock, and anger among the populace, besmirching the image of the Philippine
National Police (PNP) as the protector of the people.
While
these may be considered as isolated cases perpetrated by police officers, it
pressed a serious issue on the procedure being implemented by the PNP to ensure
and promote the psychiatric and psychological fitness of its officers and
members.
Senator Imee Marcos has filed Senate Bill No. 1825 requiring members of the PNP to undergo MANDATORY annual psychiatric, psychological drug, and physical tests including stress debriefing.
In
2022, Representative Rufus Bautista Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd District
re-filed Senator Imee’s bill as House Bill No. 10806 with the same title
and purpose.
In
her explanatory note, Marcos noted that “Republic
Act No. 6975, as amended by RA 8551, requires the
conduct of regular psychiatric, psychological drug, and physical tests of our
police officer. However, at present, these are only given during recruitment,
promotion, and when directed by a supervisor.
In an effort to ensure the
mental and psychological well-being of our police officers, this bill seeks to
make MANDATORY the conduct of their annual psychiatric, psychological drug, and
physical tests as well as to undergo stress debriefing programs for those whose
operational work necessarily expose them to traumatic situations.”