Interior Secretary Eduardo Año urged the cops Thursday to exert more effort on improving the image and reputation of the police force.
During his speech in the 119th Police Service Anniversary, the DILG chief said police officers are often criticized online, specifically on social media platforms.
“Madalas nakatuon lang ang kanilang mga pansin sa kahit maliliit na kamalian at nakakaligtaang purihin at bigyang pagkilala ang mga mabubuting gawain. Mabilis kumalat ang impormasyon sa social media lalong-lalo na ang mga paghuhusga ng ibang tao,” Año said.
(Often, their attention is focused only on even small mistakes and neglect to praise and recognize good deeds. Information spreads quickly on social media, especially other people’s judgments.)
“Thus, we need to work even harder to alter this perception and improve the image on all our personnel… Nawa’y maging simbolo kayo ng husay, dangal at kabutihan [May you be a symbol of excellence, dignity, and goodness],” he added.
He also urged the Philippine National Police to continue its internal cleansing program to eliminate the erring police officials that tarnish PNP’s image.
“Patuloy nating bigyan ng halaga ang mga ginagawang hakbang upang linisin ang ating mga hanay [We will continue to value the steps being taken to clean up our agency], Let us weed out misfits who continue to tarnish the reputation of our beloved institution,” Año said.
“Our efforts are already gaining momentum, and we will not stop until every scalawag is removed from our ranks. Hence, we must be unyielding in our internal cleansing drive and by employing measures that beef up our character and caliber, we will be able to build a reputable and formidable police force trusted and well-respected by the Filipino people,” he added.
This year’s Police Service Anniversary has a theme “Towards A Pandemic-Resilient PNP: Deploying Digital Technologies and Adopting Protective Protocols in The New Normal.”
PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa mentioned in his speech the Revitalized Internal Cleansing Program. The program’s end goal is to elevate PNP’s service reputation.
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“We set sail in restoring the image of the PNP into one that would portray the police officer as a trustworthy and respectable public servant in the eyes of the people,” Gamboa said.