FILE PHOTO: This photo taken January 24, 2024, shows Philippine National Police (PNP) officers gathering for the pre-launching of Bangon Pilipinas Kick-off Rally held outside the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. INQUIRER/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Marbil has ordered a stop to police officers carrying umbrellas for VIPs.
Marbil issued his directive Monday, noting that such an act is not part of a police officer鈥檚 job as it is degrading for a man in uniform.
鈥淚 want to bring back the dignity of our uniform,鈥� Marbil said in a speech after a flag ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
鈥淧inagbabawal ko na po 鈥榶ung every time we have an anniversary, nakakakita po tayo ng mga pulis na naka-uniform, especially mga corporal, or mga mabababa po natin, sila po ay nagdadala ng mga payong,鈥� he added.
(I am now prohibiting that, every time we have an anniversary, we see police in uniform, especially those with the rank of corporal or those in lower ranks, carrying umbrellas.)
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鈥淗indi po tama 鈥榶an. Hindi ganyan ang trabaho ng pulis. Let us respect our uniform. Ipakita po natin na tayo ay taong may dignidad. Hindi po tayo tao na basta-basta. Pulis po tayo, hindi po tayo bodyguard, hindi po tayo driver, hindi po tayo alalay. Hindi po tayo bayaran, pulis po tayo,鈥� Marbil also stressed.
(That鈥檚 not right. That鈥檚 not the job of the police. Let鈥檚 respect our uniform. Let鈥檚 show that we are a people with dignity, and not a mere person. We are police, not a bodyguard, not a driver, and not a helper. We are not paid lackeys, we are police.)
The PNP previously received flak over matters concerning the treatment of VIPs.
In May, nine officials and members of the PNP鈥檚 Special Action Force were sacked after two of them were found moonlighting as bodyguards of a Chinese VIP.
Months before that, a police officer was relieved for stopping traffic flow at a busy intersection along Commonwealth Avenue for an unidentified VIP. But the police officer was later reinstated as Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte argued that 鈥渞ank-and-file personnel should not be the scapegoats for the higher-up鈥檚 accountability. It should be the one who ordered him to stop the traffic flow that should be investigated.鈥�
It also turned out that the involved police officer stopped the traffic flow because he mistakenly heard the word 鈥淰P鈥� and assumed Vice President Sara Duterte was the VIP.