ALL POLICE officers and personnel are urged to give utmost priority to not only the protection of the ballot but also, and more important, the security of the voters, who are prone to threats and intimidation due to their indisputable power to carve the political landscape. We count on the men and women in uniform to make sure that this year’s electoral exercise remains violence-free.
At the beginning of the election season, police officers from various provinces in Western Visayas signed an oath of nonpartisanship, vowing not to engage in partisan political activities. Their pledge goes something like this: “We, the members of Philippine National Police, do hereby pledge that we shall not engage in any partisan political activity during the upcoming national and local elections. We shall be free from any party affiliation or exhibit any bias to any group, party or cause. We shall uphold the will of the electorate by protecting and maintaining the integrity of the ballot and the credibility of the elections. Towards this end, we shall conduct ourselves as professional police officers worthy of the trust and confidence of the Filipino people.”
Along with their signatures affixed on signboards stating the Oath is their commitment to fulfilling their pledge. Nothing less is required of the police officers, who have vowed “to serve and protect.”
It is no secret that the Philippine National Police, as an institution, is time and again rocked by controversies involving officials and personnel engaged in abhorrent activities, tainting the image of even those who are faithful to their mandate. While it has not succeeded in weeding out scalawags in its ranks, PNP remains a major peace and order force playing an indispensable role during elections.
In this crucial time in Philippines history, when we determine the leaders who will set the country’s social, economic and political direction, we put our trust on police officers.
