Genuine sacrifice for the public

Genuine sacrifice for the public

The wreckage brought by Bagyong Ondoy resulted to genuine union among Filipinos after years of disunity (the last authentic union I could remember was during the first EDSA revolution).

Civilians, professionals and men in uniform collaborated efforts to render much-needed help to the typhoon’s victims.

Filipinos bore witness to the heroism of artists, yuppies, professionals in different fields and especially ordinary policemen and policewomen, who were used to be tagged as good for nothing cops who are last to rescue, in whatever crime and whatever calamity.

This time, cops were not the last. In fact, policemen and policewomen were captured on television rescuing our distraught countrymen from neck-deep floodwaters or helping distribute relief goods to victims of the deluge.

Hundreds of them sacrificed in helping their own families who are also victims of Ondoy in order to render even a little relief to many families who also need help. Policemen this time answered the call of their duty, sacrificing the call of their respective families.

A good example is the 90% of the police force in Marikina—whose homes were also devastated by “Ondoy” who preferred not to go home to rebuild their lives because of, according to Chief Supt, Nick Bartolome, the “call of duty.” They could not go home yet because they have been assigned in the relief, rescue and clean-up operations in the Ondoy-battered areas.

“Policemen are also victims themselves, but they are not minding their problems at this time. They are concentrating on rescue, relief, and clean-up operations,” Bartolome, head of the PNP community relations group, said in a media interview. “Also, they have cancelled leaves so they cannot attend to their problems.”
Nevertheless, these cops remain in high morale, he said, because they are able to help other people.
In Quezon City, a thousand policemen "armed" with shovels, rakes and brooms led the cleanup in flood-devastated areas like Tatalon, Bagong Silangan and the corner of E. Rodriguez and Araneta avenues.
These unsung heroes are increasing in number under the watch of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno as National Police Commission (Napolcom) chairman.

During the recent celebration by Napolcom to mark its 43rd foundation anniversary, the Napolcom recognized the acts of heroism and gallantry of several policemen who almost lost their lives in carrying out their mission as protectors of the people.

“The acts of bravery of these police officers clearly manifests their commitment to serve and protect the people,” Escueta said during the Napolcom anniversary program.

These good things that we’ve been hearing about the PNP are the fruits of the moral transformation program that Puno, as Napolcom chairman, is helping the police organization implement on his watch.

Puno, who has always fiercely defended the PNP from criticisms, lobbied, cajoled and begged Malacañang to increase his Department’s budget to enable the PNP to acquire more patrol cars, guns and other equipment; build more police stations; refurbish their tanks and patrol boats; raise the salaries of its personnel; and provide retirees with more pension benefits.

Escueta pointed out during the Napolcom affair that Puno has done much on his current watch as Napolcom chairman to improve the living and working conditions of our police officers.

We can see for ourselves that what Escueta said is true.

Police stations have been refurbished; many of our police officers now have spanking new patrol cars and motorcycles, and in some districts, they even carry Blackberries and use GPS systems to track down violators of the law.

Puno wants to make both our police officers, and the people they serve, proud of what they are doing as “protectors of the people,” in keeping with the PNP mantra “to serve and protect.”

Sen. Edgardo Angara, who delivered the keynote speech during the Napolcom anniversary celebration, likewise credited Puno for having the “vision and energy” in helping transform the Napolcom into a “well-structured, well-directed” agency that exercises control and supervision over the PNP.

The Napolcom awardees were:

o P/SInsp. Elmer Santiago who on the evening of July 25, 2009 in Hermosa, Bataan, together with two other policemen, valiantly fought a group of armed communist insurgents belonging to the Marxista Leninista Partido ng Pilipinas/Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan. The encounter led to the death of one of the rebel leaders and the arrest of another member of the communist group.

o P/C Insp. Gilberto Tuzon, for his exceptional courage as the ground commander of the police teams dispatched to Mindanao to pursue MILF rebels in Cotabato.

o PO3 Rommel Salcedo, for his conspicuous act of gallantry when he shot it out with members of a crime group believed to be responsible for a series of bank robberies in Metro Manila. Salcedo mortally wounded a member of the gang during one of their attempts to rob a UCPB branch office in Barangay Poblacion in Makati City.