Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jul 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Column: Sketches
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Ana Marie Pamintuan

MERIT-BASED

As noteworthy as the high number of drug suspects being killed daily 
is the number of cops arrested or themselves slain on suspicion of 
involvement in the illegal trade, or else relieved from their posts 
for drug use.

We don't know when the law enforcers lost their way and became 
lawbreakers. Presumably they were still straight when they joined the 
Philippine National Police.

PNP applicants are required to undergo psychiatric evaluation and a 
physical exam that includes testing for a drug habit. The number of 
cops being implicated in the drug trade indicates something wrong 
with the PNP recruitment process. Most of the cops apprehended, 
sacked or killed in the ongoing drug war are/were enlisted personnel 
who are/were relatively new in the force.

How did so many "lowlifes" - in the words of President Duterte - 
manage to infiltrate law enforcement?

There are three possible scenarios. One is that the rotten eggs 
bribed their way through the PNP recruitment process, bypassing the 
required neuropsychiatric evaluation and testing for drug abuse.

Another is that after a while, the system turned them rotten: low pay 
can make cops vulnerable to the lure of big money from the drug trade.

Studies have shown that there are still many cops who live below the 
poverty line, lacking decent shelters and other basic needs. While 
poverty is no excuse to commit crime, it makes cops vulnerable to 
recruitment as protectors of drug traffickers, or to direct 
involvement in the trade as they release drugs confiscated as 
evidence to street pushers.

A third possibility is that the PNP simply skips the required vetting 
of any applicant who is endorsed by an influential patron  typically 
a politician or other government official, PNP officer or religious group.

If President Duterte wants the PNP cleansed of rotten eggs, he should 
start the reforms at the recruitment stage. Apart from stopping 
corruption among those in charge of the recruitment process, entering 
the PNP mainly through connections should be discouraged.

In fact anyone who wants "real change" in this country must implement 
reforms to develop a meritocracy, starting with all aspects of public 
service. Filipinos must rise to the top based on merit rather than connections.

The most successful nations are meritocracies, with the cream allowed 
to rise to the top. The idea that anything is possible, that dreams 
can be achieved through hard work and the pursuit of excellence 
rather than the right surname, and that success is determined by what 
rather than whom you know  these are the most powerful incentives for 
achieving one's full potential.

In meritocracies, even those born to immense wealth and entitlements 
must prove their own worth before they earn a nation's respect or 
occupy public office. Such societies also typically hold to higher 
behavioral standards those born to privilege. A gilded existence 
often becomes restricting, imposing a burden of responsible behavior 
from which ordinary mortals are spared.

If we want efficient public service, we must require specific sets of 
skills that government workers must meet when they are hired or 
promoted. Such requirements must never be disregarded to accommodate 
influential individuals who see jobs in government as mere 
instruments of political patronage.

The heavily politicized system of promotions and assignments in 
government has given the nation a lot of incompetent public servants, 
wreaking havoc on the delivery of basic services.

This has weakened the criminal justice system and given us 
corruptible prosecutors, judges and justices who are beholden to 
their patrons. It has allowed politicians and influential groups to 
use government personnel and resources for personal and partisan purposes.

There are vetting bodies for assignments and promotions in the 
judiciary, the military and police. But they often serve merely as 
deodorizers, legitimizing the whims of politicians and other top 
government officials.

Foreigners have found it remarkable that many Filipinos do very well 
overseas, dedicated in their work and constantly embarked on 
self-improvement. I don't think better pay is the only reason; more 
important is an environment that allows individuals to move ahead 
based on merit rather than a birthright or a VIP's endorsement.

In such societies, where the requirements for career advancement are 
clear-cut and rigorously followed, a VIP's endorsement for an 
undeserved promotion or assignment can open the intended beneficiary 
to embarrassment and ridicule by peers.

President Duterte had earlier called for an end to temporary 
restraining orders issued by corrupt judges, which he said have 
derailed the implementation of government projects and programs.

Duterte later backpedaled  sort of  but he had made his point, and 
I'm sure most Filipinos agreed with him.

He can play a direct role in reducing corruption and improving 
efficiency in the judiciary, a co-equal and independent branch  by 
appointing qualified people to the service.

The same thing can be done in the police, which he wants cleansed of 
the drug problem, and throughout the bureaucracy for that matter.

Apart from de-politicizing police recruitment, Duterte may want to 
require a thorough background check on anyone before formal hiring, 
including visits to the applicant's neighborhood and home. There 
aren't too many PNP recruits every year so this is possible. Drugs 
leave the body through the urine within about three days so the tests 
can be useless for police recruitment. Psychiatric states can also 
change within a matter of months.

Public service is only as good as the people tasked to do the job. If 
we want competent individuals to provide professional public service, 
we must professionalize the hiring process.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom