PNP Logo
Philippine National Police is celebrating its 16th Ethics Day this week. I actually don't know that PNP has this ethics day thing until I saw a banner hanging inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City where the headquarters of National Capital Region Police Office is located. The theme for this year's celebration is "Strong Moral Foundation: The Key to PNP Transformation."
While I was walking, I began to think how the Philippine National Police members react to different scandals their own organization is committing. If the media inform the public that there is this cop who asks for money from a bus driver, we are not surprised because we always hear such kind of misbehavior among the policemen. There are a lot of those so-called 'kotong' cops in the country. While they are maintaining the peace and order situation, they are also watching for people (especially those who are law offenders) whom they can ask for kotongs in exchange of their freedom from being reported in police stations.
There is an urgent need to overhaul the system within PNP.
On the other side of the story, I know that the leadership of PNP is trying all its best to minimize, if not totally eradicate, those practices from erring officials and members. As they celebrate their 16th Ethics Day this week, I hope that they would realize that they are in the position to protect the interests of the public. I also hope that they would translate the theories they have learned during their training into actions that would benefit the entire citizenry. We have policemen because they ought to serve and protect the people. It is constitutionally mandated.
Nevertheless, I want to congratulate the leadership of PNP with General Jesus Versoza as its Chief and all the members of the Philippine National Police for doing their job.
