Mayor Bataoil, you were correct. While Elisa was singing (‘Ang Tatay Kong Pulis‘), I was having goosebumps. Sinabi ko kay Col Red (Maranan, Pangasinan PPO chief), sino ang nag-compose niyan? Napakagandang kanta, very touching and talagang nakatama rito. And sinumang pulis na makarinig, lahat na pulis na makarinig, definitely would be touched by that song, not just the composition, but the lyrics.

Kanina nabanggit ni Mayor Pol, ‘What is right must be kept right, what is wrong must be set right.’ I vividly remember the first time I uttered those words was on November 16, 1999. Ang occasion, it was part of my assumption speech when I was appointed Chief of the PNP in 1999. And we hit the ground running. I chose, of course he was then ahead of me, si then Director Acop, was Director for Comptrollership. And of course I retained him, he was my No. 1 adviser, he was my mentor. Siya ang nag-author ng ICUs of the PNP. Ang ICU, the Inept, Corrupt, the Undisciplined. Siya rin ang nag-put forward ng idea na ang antidote sa ICU, AID: Aptitude, Integrity, Discipline.

And as I said earlier, we hit the ground running and we did and led by example. First example, sabi ko, henceforth – and he can attest to this, nasa harapan natin si Gen Acop – sabi ko ang distribution ng resources ng PNP from before I took over, kung hindi 50-50, 60% ang naiwan sa NHQ and all HQ level; at ang 40% lang ang bumababa. So we started reversing the distribution of the MOOE, even logistics, pati gasolina and everything else, to 15% (in HQ) and 85% (in the field). And that was the time we checked with our COPs, and some of you ranking police officers who were then COPs in the different municipalities and cities can also attest to this, na kung hindi nagdoble, nag-triple at sometimes nag-quadruple ang pondong natatangap nila. And that’s the way it should be. HQ is just for policy, for monitoring or giving guidelines. Ang workforce naroon sa baba.

And true enough, the police slowly but surely regained its lost glory. And I remember at the time, the PNP got the highest approval and trust rating. I think we were hitting 73%. Ang natandaan ko ang disapproval and distrust sa PNP, 11%, meaning technically, only 1 out of 10 Filipinos ang hindi naniniwala sa PNP. Why? Probably yan ang mga kamag-anak ng criminals that we were chasing at the time. Because we cannot also win them all.

And I also remember in Year 2000, we founded the PNP Foundation Inc. Why? Because we wanted to take advantage of the goodwill ng ating mga kababayan to contribute to that foundation. And it’s a unique foundation. And I think some of the municipalities, even some of the police commands all over the country were the recipients of donations from the PNPFI. Ako po ngayon ang chairman, because may ban ng chairmanship sa foundation na within a 3-year period upon retirement of the CPNP.

So ako ang current chairman, and I would like to inform you, if you need some equipment hindi naman ganoon kalaki, we were donating tablets, computers, and so far we have already donated I think at least P50M worth of equipment to the different units of the PNP. One of the guidelines that I asked the Board of Trustees, kung sino ang malayo o halos hindi marating, yan ang unahin sa pagbibigay ng equipment. Even sa firing range or sa obstacle course, nagbibigay ang PNPFI. We have in our coffers right now something like P187-190M and what’s unique in this foundation, ang pwede lang gamitin for donation, and the sole beneficiary is the PNP, yan lang accrued earnings. Ang (seed money) is being held perpetually. It will outlive all of us. It will stay there, and it will keep on adding, ang pinaka-seed money. It will never be depleted simply because of that provision in the charter, that only the approved interest earnings sa pera sa Foundation ang pwede lang gastusin para sa pag-donate sa PNP. And I think mga COP na narito na nangangalingan ng equipment, all you have to do is write us a letter with the list of equipment that you need, and we will process that. One of these days you may be recipients of such donations.

I also mentioned earlier we hit the ground running. Ang unang target namin noon nina Gen Acop ang tinatawag na kotong cops. Ang tingin na lang ng mga kababayan natin sa ating kapulisan noong araw before we took over, and I have seen how the PNP has evolved into a more professional and more disciplined organization since that time, because ayaw natin masabi ang pulis ay parang kalaban sa halip na kakampi ng ating kababayan, ay nagiging kalaban pa o iniiwasan. I remember telling our policemen at the time na hindi ba masamang pangitain yung pag ang isang motorista ay naglalakbay especially at night, and he could see a mobile car parked at the end of the road, instead of passing through that road to feel safe and secure, they would try to avoid that road and find another road because sabi nila delikado yan, may pulis. Di ba dapat diyan dumaan dahil safe dahil may pulis? Dapat ganyan ang mindset ng kababayan natin. And we tried to inculcate in the minds of our policemen, that they really should be more professional and serve with integrity kasi ang motto natin, ‘To Serve and Protect.’ Hindi ang ‘Do Disservice to Our Countrymen.’ So I hope under the leadership of Col Red Maranan, because I told you I’ve known him since way back, the Pangasinan PPO will really deliver the goods, the services the Pangasinenses really deserve.

As a senator, ito alam din ito ni Rep Acop and other congressmen present, kami rin ang takbuhan ng PNP pagdating sa budget deliberation. And we always see to it na laging may augmentation ang pondo ng PNP. We have raised your MOOE per capita dahil hindi natutugunan ang on a per capita basis ang MOOE ng pulis. Ang maintenance ng equipment at kahit ang bagong procured na equipment, we make sure there is an augmentation in the national budget to address the maintenance and services of those equipment procured by the PNP. And we’ll continue doing that. As long as we are in the Senate and in HOR, we will see to it we will be your allies in the PNP. Of course we don’t expect anything in return except yung honest and good service.

So I could not prolong anymore our message, baka nagiging lecture-type ang sinasabi ko rito. The long and short of it, just do your work, do your job with utmost honesty and integrity. Maraming salamat at nagkatipon tayo rito. Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat.

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