Police should undergo regular psychiatric assessment: expert

After a police officer brutally shot a woman in Quezon City on Monday, an expert recommended that the police have a regular psychiatric assessment in their ranks, especially since this is not the first violence they have committed.

Dr. Maria Bernadette Manalo, a member of the Philippine Psychiatric Association, said it is important for the police to have regular and continuous psychiatric monitoring, especially since their mental health should be guided.

“I would really recommend monitoring them as well. Because, you know, it’s hard when you’re on the road, you’re outside, you’ve encountered a lot of traumatic incidents,” said Manalo.

She also said that it would not work to conduct psychiatric assessments only once a year.

“Kailangan talaga every 3 to 6 months,” she said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that their health services are limited.

But according to Eleazar, they will study the recommendation, especially now that psychiatric assessment is limited to recruitment and when applying for promotion.

Eleazar apologized for the police shooting of Master Sgt. Hensie Zinampan from the Police Security and Protection Group on 52-year-old Lilybeth Valdez, who was even captured on video and is now viral on social media.

Police should undergo regular psychiatric assessment: expert

“Talagang nakakalungkot ang pangyayaring ito dahil gaya ng sinabi ko nga, kahit anong sabihin ko dito, hindi ko naman kayo makukumbinse,” he said.

Zinampan admitted he was so angry that he was able to shoot a grandmother in Barangay Greater Fairview, Quezon City.

Zinampan is said to have accumulated anger towards the victim’s children.

“Patawarin nila ako… Hindi nila ako nirerespeto (Forgive me. They did not respect me),” said Zinampan, who was charged with murder by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

According to Zinampan, he was recently beaten by the victim’s 2 children even though he just stopped them from fighting.

“Binugbog ako. Na-black eye ako. Hindi nila nirerespeto ang pulis,” he said,

(They have beaten. I had a black eye. They did not respect me as a cop.)

The crime happened just 5 months after the shooting of another policeman in Tarlac in December, who was also captured on video.