PNP Does Not Need Superficial Programs What It Needs is to Look After the Welfare of Its Members

There is no other way how to improve the Philippine National Police as an institution, it must focus on the individual welfare of its members. The policy makers most of whom who have lost touch or have never experienced the life of the lowest rank and file often comes up with superficial programs.

Every Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government or PNP Chief comes up with programs, often personality centered, but these people who are enjoying the comforts of being “Gods” and living in “Olympus” (Gods are those in Camp Crame, which is the heaven of the PNP) easily forgets or have no idea of the basic needs of a police officer.

The country is suffering from LEADERSHIP CRISIS because we have a President and Secretary of DILG who have never experienced life’s financial problems, like where to get money to buy rice and fare for its children, but that is not their faults, they were born rich, their fault is not studying the mental and psychological frame of their men.

The issues of corruption and lack of competence of the members of the PNP are not phantom problems. These are merely by-products of what is hurting the individual member. The worst member is one who has numerous personal problems. That is why successful companies focus on the individual welfare of its members. The Leader finds out what are the basic and fundamental needs of its members, for when these are addressed, they will fight for the Leader even up to gates of hell.

Therefore, the most effective soldier is one who has no psychological baggage, who is focused on accomplishing its mission, but what is happening to the members of the PNP? Do you know (if you are Mar Roxas, you will definitely not know) that there are members of the PNP who are struggling and fighting for daily survival? These are for food, shelter and clothing.

Then how do we do this? These are just few of the suggested mechanisms:

1. Include in the curriculum of all entry training, in the PNPA and in the Public Safety Basic Recruitment Course a course on Personal Financial Management. The syllabus of the subject is to teach the police officer on how to manage his finances. This will be re-oriented every year.

2. To Provide a Food Allowance (a monthly sack of rice, with cooking essentials, like oil for every police officer).

3. To provide an Educational Scholarship to a child/children or dependents of a police officer. (item 2 and 3 is to ensure that when a police officer lives his/her home she/he is not bothered on what happens at the house).

4. A Housing Program (target is that no police officer shall live in squatters or depressed area, we should make our police officers live decent lives.)

5. A medical insurance (accepted to all public and private hospitals) to the police officer and its dependents.

Great nations that have thrived from ancient Greece to Modern America and Britain, always ensure decent living to its soldiers and now safety officers such as police officers.

You may ask me? Where to do we get money? There is so much money in this country, it is just a question of priority and proper delivery of the funds. Do you know that the PNP has a yearly budget of more than 70 Billion Pesos?

We do not have to implement the so called PNP Modernization Program, what is the use of having a modern vehicle when the driver is not driven and inspired to drive the vehicle?

The motto of the DILG and PNP should be:

A HAPPY POLICE OFFICER, MAKES A STRONG PNP, A STRONG PNP MAKES THE NATION STRONG.