Philippine lawmakers urge mental health checks for police recruits

Lawmakers in the Philippines are calling for a stronger recruitment process in the police force. They want the Philippine National Police (PNP) to check the mental health of new recruits. This follows a recent incident where a police officer made threats against international organizations. The officer, Pat. Francis Steve Tallion Fontillas, worked with the Quezon City Police District. He faces a sedition complaint for a controversial post on social media. In his post, Fontillas threatened the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. In a press briefing, two lawmakers, Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong and Rep. Paolo Ortega, emphasized the need for a psychological evaluation of police recruits. Adiong mentioned that giving officers weapons comes with serious responsibility. Ortega agreed, stating that mental health assessments could improve the selection process. Adiong noted that Fontillas seemed to be struggling with personal issues. He expressed concern over the officer's choice of words in his video content. Meanwhile, the Quezon City Police Department reminded officers to remain non-partisan and professional on social media. Fontillas defended himself, saying he exercised his right to free expression. However, Adiong reiterated that police officers must not show political bias. He stressed the importance of loyalty to the government and maintaining professionalism in their roles. The background of this situation involves the ICC's arrest order for Duterte related to alleged crimes during his anti-drug campaign. After questioning the arrest, Duterte eventually left Manila for The Netherlands.