Res Gestae
PNP: Going strong at 17
This column would like to yield this space to the message of Police Director General Avelino I. Razon, Jr., the Chief of the Philippine National Police, on the occasion of the 17th PNP Day celebration at the Police Regional Office 6, Camp Martin Delgado, Iloilo City last January 29.
The country's Top Cop was not present during the celebration due to his very important commitment with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But, through his representative, Police Deputy Director General Emmanuel Carta, his message was heard and has surely inspired the region's police force.
This column also believes that Razon's message is also meant to encourage everyone to take active role in the PNP's campaign not only for peace and order in this part of the country but also for the transformation of its members into the kind of Mamang Pulis that every tax payer deserves.!
"I congratulate the individual and unit awardees whom we honor today – the Mamang Pulis of this region – for outstanding accomplishments in their respective fields of police service. Their finest virtues of excellence and service efficiency should inspire all of us in the PNP to accomplish our own duties and responsibilities with the same zeal and dedication consistent with our mission to serve and protect the people, and along the spirit of our 17th PNP Anniversary theme:"Mamang Pulis: Tagapagtaguyod ng Karapatang Pantao Tungo sa Kapanatagan ng Mamamayan."
With pride and gratitude, we celebrate the selfless service and gallantry of Mamang Pulis who, through all these years, risked life and limb to enforce the law and keep the Filipino safe, and preserve the country's democratic ideals and institutions.
We have seen the PNP rise up to great challenges in the past and coming out stronger and better in the end. But at no time have we been more challenged than the last twelve months when our organization's capability and resilience were put to the test with the occurrence of several tragic events that endangered and took lives and threatened our democratic institutions. With great courage and unwavering loyalty, we surpassed the challenges brought by four unforeseen events – the Glorietta blast in Makati City, the Batasan bombing, the Manila Pen incident, and the Jaloslos escape. We prevailed and came out even stronger because Mamang Pulis did his job, and did it well. For this, I thank and commend everyone of you.
Together, we have sustained the downtrend in crime, posting a decrease from 2006's total crime volume of 71,226 to last year's 65,994. With Mamang Pulis taking to the streets in our heightened police presence in many areas, the average monthly crime rate decreased by 9.03% from 6.98 in 2006 to 6.35 in 2007, with index or major crimes further decreasing by 10.87% from 41,576 to 37,057.
Even Kidnap-for-Ransom cases have dipped, with the same downtrend reflected in our other major campaigns. With your vigilance and dedication, we successfully secured the 2007 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, emerging as the most peaceful and widely participated electoral exercise in recent years, and did the same with the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the first Global Parliamentary Meeting on HIV/AIDS, hosted by the Philippine Government.
We made strides in cleansing our ranks of scalawags and kotong cops with swift and decisive actions and with the effective support of our "I-report mo kay Mamang Pulis" program and our PNP Text Anti-Kotong Project. And through a more aggressive implementation of our PNP Integrated Transformation Program, we achieved reforms in police operations and procedures through the efficient utilization of information technology, mobility and resources; we strengthened manpower capabilities through enhanced training and education programs; and we enhanced personnel welfare through the vigorous implementation of our housing program and the provision of education, health services, medical and legal assistance, and livelihood projects for deserving personnel, among others.
And above all, as we heeded the call of the President to make human rights my administration's legacy to the PNP, we issued LOI Pamana which paved the way to a renewed set of PNP-Wide policy directions and guidelines on respect, promotion and protection of human rights, even as we doubled the efforts of Task Force Usig in addressing the issue on extra-judicial killings.
We face the challenges ahead with doubled efforts in crime prevention and suppression, internal security operations and anti-terrorism. And we are moving more aggressively forward in further promoting the PNP Integrated Transformation Program towards a truly capable, effective and credible institution.
But we are not sending you out to beat the challenge with bare hands. Just recently, I have announced the programmed procurement this year of P1.3 billion worth of equipment for mobility, firepower, communication and investigation that you will need to hurdle the challenges ahead.
And on top of the equipment outlay and the increased MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operational Expenditures) already in place, we are also expecting a supplemental fund from the Office of the President that will allow us to acquire more utility vehicles, troop carriers, and motorcycles.
In the forthcoming 17th PNP Anniversary ceremony on February 6 in Camp Crame, we expect that Commander-In-Chief to issue another series of marching orders for the entire organization. And her guidance will be the direction of the whole command in pursuing our peacekeeping and law enforcement mission for the rest of the year.
The national leadership expects Mamang Pulis to continue providing the people with honest, effective and dedicated police service. I am very optimistic that as we stand united and strong, the PNP will prevail and endure over any challenge and task that will come our way.
The challenge ahead is indeed a tall order, yet it is doable and necessary because the people deserve nothing less. And I expect every Mamang Pulis to deliver the goods, and deliver well.
And as we celebrate our 17th year, I take this opportunity to thank and commend each and every Mamang Pulis in this region for the good work that you continue to do and for your strong support to my stewardship of the PNP. Let us strive even harder in the days ahead and show the people we serve the kind of Mamang Pulis that they deserve – one who is truly dependable, approachable, presentable, humane and God-fearing.
For Mamang Pulis, it is always an honor to serve and protect our country and people."
(Send your comments, suggestions and reactions to rogatepnp@yahoo.com)