Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla on Monday called on the leadership of the Philippine National Police to help end the discrimination against Muslims.
“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.
He made the statement following the foiled hostage-taking of former senator Leila de Lima at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame on Sunday, where at least three inmates were killed.
Padilla expressed his dismay over videos on social media where police responding to the hostage-taking referred to the perpetrators as “Muslims.”
“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,” he said.
He urged the PNP to launch an education drive on the use of the word “Muslim.”
“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 stressed.
“If our law enforcers can judge people based on their religion, what is Lady Justice for,” he asked.