‘CIVILIANIZATION’

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

WE first heard this word from Gen. Renato de Villa, who was then AFP chief of staff of President Cory Aquino. That was sometime in 1991, after the country underwent the seventh yet the biggest and bloodiest military coup in its political history. It was a winner-take-all coup and the rebel military forces lost in the confrontation that lasted for several days.

Obviously, this word was concocted to refer to the process of re-inculcating the precept of civilian supremacy over the military. During those days, the military could not accept civilian supremacy. The Marcos dictatorship, in which the military was part of the ruling coalition, had nurtured a military establishment that could not re-integrate itself in the post-Marcos era.

Many military officials could not accept the primacy of civilian rule over the military. They had a hard time accepting that the restored democracy that has replaced the dictatorship could mean they have to accept orders from civilian rulers.

The civilianization process involved going back to the barracks, immersing themselves in new doctrines that include acknowledgement and acceptance of the human rights of the civilian population, and retraining to learn the so-called “civilian mind.”

The process started with the three branches of the Armed Forces – Army, Navy, and the Air Force. It extended to the Philippine Constabulary – Integrated National Police (PC-INP), the precursor of the present-day Philippine National Police (PNP).

When Congress enacted the PNP Law to replace the PC-INP, the PNP leadership adopted a new set of uniforms to stress the civilian nature of the new institution. Police officers were required to wear the neutral brown uniform. People teased the police officers by calling them “chocolate boys.”

Police officers were amused, but they were not mad. After all, the people did not feel threatened. A decade later, their brown uniform has been changed to blue. People called them “sekyu” because their blue uniform somewhat resembled the blue guards. They felt comfortable.

Now, police officers wear camouflage uniform, which is very similar to the Army’s uniform. Soldiers don’t feel comfortable because certain people, according to them, mistake them for police officers. They consider it an insult because of apparent inter-service rivalry.

Is the use of camouflage uniform part of the ongoing militarization?

It appears so. The police force behaves as somewhat the private army of Rodrigo Duterte. Police officers hardly possess the civilian mindset which has been imparted to them after more three decades of restored democracy. Many police officers feel they can do what they want, including human rights violations.

Ordinary citizens avoid them. They are not trusted. A number of police officers have adopted the monster attitude that they are now the ruling class, not the guys mandated to promote peace and order. Many people look at them as epitome of abuses. Or, because of their huge salaries, modern-day mercenaries of the ruling elite, sarcastically called "inferior Davao."

“Mag-iingat sa pulis” has become a routine piece of advice among citizens. God bless the Philippines