I.

Define the following concepts:

1. Police Officer – A police officer is a person who is responsible for enforcing the law,
preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities and maintaining safety and
public order. A police officer belongs to the Police Force which is a body of officers
representing the civil authority of government.

2. Judicious Use of Authority – As stated in the PNP ethical doctrine, judicious use of
authority means PNP members shall exercise proper and legitimate use of authority in
the performance of duty.

3. Integrity – Integrity is defined as the same as judicious use of authority in the PNP
ethical doctrine, and as such, PNP members shall also exercise proper and legitimate
use of authority in the performance of duty.

4. Command Responsibility - Command responsibility refers to the “accountability or

responsibility or answerability of the commander of a Military or Police Force or Unit
for the acts of his men, inclusive of the authority to order, to direct, to prevent or
control the acts of his men. In accordance with the PNP ethical doctrine, immediate
Commanders/Directors shall be responsible for the effective supervision, control and
direction of their personnel.

5. Delicadeza – Delicadeza is an honored principle that is In consonance with the

requirements of honor and integrity in the PNP. All members must have the moral
courage to sacrifice self interest in keeping with this.

II. Enumeration

1. Police code of conduct:

a. Law enforcement official shall at all times fulfill the duty imposed upon them by
law, by serving the community and by protecting all persons against illegal acts,
consistent with the high degree of responsibility required by their profession.

b. In the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials shall respect and
protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons.

c. Law enforcement officials may use force only when strictly necessary and to the
extent required for the performance of their duty.
 d. Matters of confidential nature in the possession of law enforcement officials shall
be kept confidential, unless the performance of duty or the needs of justice strictly
require otherwise.

e. No law enforcement official may inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture or
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, nor may any law
enforcement official invoke superior order or exceptional circumstances such as a
state of war, a threat to national security, internal political instability or any other
public emergency as a justification of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.

2. Police Ethical Standards

a. Morality- PNP members shall adhere to high standards of morality and decency
and shall set good examples for others to follow. In no instance during their terms
of office, among other things, shall they be involved as owners, operators,
managers or investors in any house of ill-repute or illegal gambling den or other
places devoted to vices, nor shall they patronize such places unless on official duty,
and tolerate operations of such establishments in their respective areas of
responsibilities. They shall be faithful to their lawfully wedded spouses.

b. Justice. PNP members shall strive constantly to respect the rights of others so that
they can fulfill their duties and exercise their rights as human beings, parents,
children, citizens, workers, leaders, or in other capacities and to see to it that
others do likewise

c. Humility. PNP members shall recognize the fact that they are public servants and
not the masters of the people and towards this end, they shall perform their duties
without arrogance. They shall also recognize their own inadequacies, inabilities
and limitations as individuals and perform their duties without attracting attention
or expecting the applause of others.

d. Orderliness. PNP members shall follow logical procedures in accomplishing tasks

assigned to them to minimize waste in the use of time, money and effort.

e. Perseverance. Once a decision is made, PNP members shall take legitimate means
to achieve the goal even in the face of internal or external difficulties, and despite
anything which might weaken their resolve in the course of time.
III. Essay

1. Having relatives who were once a part of the then Integrated National Police
which dates back to the last century, I can say that the adherence to the Police
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of the present PNP has definitely
strengthened by leaps and bounds. Back in the day, many policemen were
involved in illegal activities with some unscrupulous members either acting out as
protectors of criminal syndicates or engaged in criminal acts such as “hulidap” or
“kotong”. Some even have this “Pulis ako” mentality and tend to abuse their
authority to any hapless individual they encounter. With the huge raise in their
salary as well as the advent of social media, police officers nowadays are conscious
and aware of the consequences should they not adhere to these standards and
conduct themselves accordingly. I myself have seen many of our police officers
carrying their sworn duties on the very people they have sworn to protect and
serve with dignity and pride. And while there are several misgivings by some PNP
members, these are isolated incidents that are few and far in between. So, I can
say yes, the code of conduct and the ethical standards is manifested by the present
incarnation of the PNP.

2. We know the scene in the movies wherein the cops always arrive last. Sadly, this is
still prevalent nowadays. Oftentimes, we would see a police officer in his
headquarters or sub-station and unless some of his colleagues are on foot patrol
or near an area where a crime is being committed, it is likely that it might be too
late for him to respond. This is why it is very vital for the PNP to increase its
cooperation with the citizenry, enhanced its intelligence and heighten its visibility
if it hopes to deter crime. A tip from a concerned citizen or information gathered
by intelligence would most often result to a police operation that could prevent a
crime from even happening.

3. My view on the PNP’s stand on basic issues is that it embodies the principles,
standards, and values of our national law enforcement agency which is the PNP.
For me, it is highly important that these values are consistently implemented by
the PNP and observed by its members. Violating even just a single value would
tarnish the reputation of the whole PNP not only to the citizenry but also among
its ranks. As for my suggestion to improve its strategic measures, I would say
metrics should be put in place in order to gauge and keep track if the stand on
these basic issues is being observed and followed by the PNP and its members.