Res Gestae
Silent protest for reform
While most of police officers in the region are busy completing their requirements for promotion, a police-friend of mine is seemingly unaffected. He is due for promotion but he declines the opportunity.
The reason: He is a practical idealist and he is on protest 'against' the PNP.
Modesty aside and without bias to friendship, my police-friend possesses 'unparalleled' competence in relation to his rank. He deserves a promotion. Maybe he deserves it more than anybody else does. His qualifications – education, experience and competence – are impressive.
But again, with his advocacy for reform, he is making a sacrifice. He literally says 'no' not to promotion but to the procedure on how it is being conducted.
This police-friend is a candidate for the rank of Police Officer 3. He got his first promotion in 2005.
What he is protesting about is the fact that, should he apply for promotion, he would be submitting 'again' the authenticated copies of his school credentials (Transcript of Records/Diploma), eligibility/ies, and training certificates, along with his clearances and awards.
And, we may ask, what is the problem about that?
The problem is he already submitted the authenticated copies of his school credentials and eligibility/ies when he applied for the police service several years ago. He also submitted again the authenticated copies of said documents including his training certificates when applied for his first promotion.
And to submit the same authenticated documents for the third time is, for him, a blatant defiance to logic. Practicability. Efficiency.
This practice is a vicious cycle in the PNP. And, worse, nobody has seemingly noticed it. Or, if there was one, he must not have gut to start the protest.
Maybe only this police-friend of mine has balls to stand on protest against this impractical (also read: irrational), procedure. But, I am certain, many police officers, even those who have submitted their requirements for this upcoming promotion, share his sentiment. The problem is, they too want change but yet are unwilling to let go this opportunity.
It is understandable. Every hundred of peso increase in their salaries really matters. The risk is seemingly not worth taking. It appears an inutile exercise.
But, they should have known better.
Many police officers in this region are graduates of universities and colleges in other regions. Some have even obtained their eligibilities and trainings there. We can just imagine how much it would cost these police officers should they apply and comply with the requirements for promotion.
As I said, the practice is a vicious cycle. And it has been viciously affecting these police officers.
Writing this sad reality here may simply fall in the deaf ears of authorities. Or, worse, it may get the ire of PNP Top Brasses.
But I am taking chances.
I am just praying that an organization who sings Integration Transformation Program will soon take notice of it -- not just to benefit my police-friend, but to make the PNP more credible and dependable among its members.
Reform is all that my police-friend wants in his silent protest. And I count my support on him. May he get a better price for his sacrifice.
But, before he is misinterpreted, let me put forward this definition of terms. According to Wikipedia, reform is generally distinguished from revolution. The latter means basic or radical change; whereas reform may be no more than fine tuning, or at most redressing serious wrongs without altering the fundamentals of the system. Reform seeks to improve the system as it stands, never to overthrow it wholesale.
And, only those who have balls can stand by it.
Will you?
(Comments to rogatepnp@yahoo.com or 09193161190.)