ILOILO City – After six months of rigid screening, 647 new police officers took their oath at the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) headquarters in Camp Delgado here yesterday.
They would be deployed to various police stations across Western Visayas after another six months of training, said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director.
“You decided to embrace the police profession. This must be clear to you now: you are here to become part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Bulalacao told the new cops, 156 of whom were women.
As guardians of peace and security in the region, Bulalacao said, the police in times of need and emergency “will be the first to be called upon by the community.”
“So be responsible,” the police director told the new police officers.
He stressed the importance of discipline within the police organization.
“We admit that some police personnel, instead of being good examples, are the ones violating laws,” Bulalacao lamented.
Because of this, he said, the Philippine National Police has intensified its internal cleansing program.
“Here at the PRO-6, we repeatedly call upon everyone to join us in our crusade for better police service. We transform as we perform,” said Bulalacao.
He also stressed the importance of staying fit physically and mentally.
“We will distribute the new cops to police stations that need more personnel so we expect them to be fit, responsible and disciplined,” said Bulalacao.
When he assumed office on June 5, Bulalacao vowed to impose organizational discipline at the PRO-6.
Bulalacao’s other thrusts were the campaigns against illegal drugs and crimes and curbing if not totally stopping the involvement of policemen in illegal activities such as drug pushing or using.
“My actions shall be anchored on the guidance of the Philippine National Police chief emphasizing internal reforms and organizational discipline. Under my watch, I will see to it that organizational discipline is imposed to have integrity and individual reform,” said Bulalacao.
He also warned police personnel not to smoke, text or sleep while on duty.
“The instructions of our PNP chief are very clear. Ayaw namin nang patulog-tulog na pulis, nagso-smoke while on duty at nagte-text sa maraming tao,” said Bulalacao./PN
