Res Gestae
Good image
One of toughest issues facing the Philippine National Police today is how to improve its image to the public. The project "Mamang Pulis / Aleng Pulis, Serbisyong Tama at Malinis" articulates such reality. It admits the urgent need of gaining back the old glory of "Mamang Pulis", an epitome of an ideal law enforcement officer: God-fearing, humane, approachable, dependable and presentable.
The rationale of PNP's Integrated Transformation Program revolves in the concept of Mamang Pulis and Aleng Pulis. As a road map for long-term and lasting reforms in the PNP, the ITP has a ten (10) year time frame, from 2005 to 2015, which aims to resolve organizational and systemic dysfunction, improve morale and welfare of personnel, and strengthen the law enforcement capability of the police. The program presents a comprehensive and holistic approach to reform the PNP with its honest-to-goodness assessment of its present institutional framework policies, systems, structures, and procedures.
Advocating reforms in the country's police force is indeed very necessary. Through time, the PNP is losing its ground in the community. And the situation is getting worse with the people seeing more the police officers as law breakers rather than law enforcers. And, we can't blame these people on the way they perceive our police officers. They were once victims of the men in blue uniform, in one way or the other, directly or indirectly. And through these years, these people still harbor the pain, rage, and fears. Others may have forgotten the feelings, but I am certain that their sub-conscious minds have the imprints of those memories, awaiting to be piqued by another incident.
This is the biggest challenge to the PNP now. With people under the "state of withdrawal", the PNP needs to paint a scenario completely different from their previous traumatic experiences. It must show to people the police officers as protectors, not as predators; crime busters, not as perpetrators. It needs to showcase a police force with a heart. It must bring back to reality, nay community, the Mamang Pulis and Aleng Pulis.
Certainly, the PNP cannot cause its transformation overnight. Rebuilding good image is harder than destroying it. As Benjamin Fraklin succinctly puts it, "It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad to lose it."
It may not be easy indeed for the PNP to (re) establish a good image to the public. But, it has to remember that the goal is not also impossible.
(For your comments and suggestions, text to 09193161190 or email at rogatepnp@yahoo.com.)