President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday reminded the national police that it must only use force when it is “reasonable, justifiable and necessary.”
In his speech during the 121st Police Service anniversary at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, the President told officers of the PNP to ensure that they are “firmly grounded” on moral principles in the performance of their sworn duties.
“Given the gravity, the seriousness, the difficulty of the responsibility and relative influence that you carry, it is a must that the application of your mandate is firmly grounded on moral principles: Integrity and accountability and honesty to ensure continued public rapport and support from the public for the PNP,” Marcos said.
“For instance, the use of force must always be reasonable, justifiable, and only undertaken when necessary. Execution of authority must be fair, must be impartial,” he added.
Marcos asked the policemen to be devoid of “favoritism or discrimination regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, political affiliation, religious belief and the like.”
“It is only then that you can effectively sustain with great respect and wide support the authority that you possess as uniformed servicemen of the Republic,” he stressed.
The chief executive noted that these values would help regain public trust and confidence.
Branding the PNP as “vanguards of peace,” Marcos enjoined police officers to give their best without sacrificing their integrity and prevent even “a hint of dishonesty and abuse” from influencing their actions and decisions.
‘Unrivaled’ service
Marcos lauded the law enforcement officers for their “unrivaled” service to the country, citing how they put their lives on the line in the performance of their duties “24 hours a day, seven days per week.”
“I stand before this group of law enforcement officers whose sacrifices and service to the republic remain unrivaled,” he said.
“It is impressive the selfless acts of bravery and self sacrifice that you, your families, your men, your troops and all of those in the arm services,” he added.
Marcos recognized the “tremendous risks and often unseen danger” attached to the line of work of the policemen, saying that they are “immensely daunting for many and yet without hesitation the PNP continues to pursue its calling to serve and to others.”
Aside from maintaining peace and order, he pointed out that the PNP is also in charge of traditional duties such as assisting in vehicular traffic, addressing emergency situations, investigating crimes, serving warrants, apprehending law violators, implementing educational outreach programs, introducing and teaching crime prevention and resolution, among others.
“I am more than convinced that police service is a calling that not everyone is capable of rendering as it requires a moral standard that is usually inherent in our being and demands an enormous commitment and responsibility that sometimes admittedly are difficult to endure,” he said.