IN A FEW more months, Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Eleazar would be retiring from the service, thus he has started making “exit visits” to various police offices across the country.
He was in various parts of Western Visayas last week primarily to check how police offices were doing and reminding his men of his major advocacies such as discipline among cops and the cleanliness of police stations, among others.
“Nandyan na ang lahat na programa, doktrina at polisiya sa ating roadmap. Ang kulang na lang ay strict implementation and effective supervision,” Eleazar said.
The police’s reason for being is to serve the citizenry with the commitment of sacrifice and willingness to die in the service of God, country and people. It is thus good for Eleazar to remind his men of their primary duty.
Surely, when policemen were admitted to the service and got their badges, they must have been very proud wearing them. The badges are a sign not only of honor and pride but more importantly, of dedication to duty.
Indeed it is. Or it should be. It should also remind them to keep their integrity intact. Policemen have been entrusted with the badge as a symbol of their worthiness as police officers; to serve and protect the people from whom they derive their power and authority; and to enforce the laws of the land without fear or favor.
A policeman’s badge is worn not to intimidate people but to command respect from them. Respect will come naturally to the profession if they are able to do their job fearlessly and properly – which will only make the sheen of their badges stand out more easily.
But the badge will be permanently tarnished once its wearer is unable to fulfill his duty.
Policemen’s badges, uniforms and titles all underscore the nobility of their profession that many people still look up to, especially in times of trouble and disasters. They also remind policemen of the virtues they must uphold – service, honor and justice.
