For the first time in the Marcos administration, members of the national and regional peace and order councils were gathered at the Palace last Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The President presided over this meeting, which was also attended by Vice President Sara Duterte, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año. This high-level meet was convened to address the biggest threats against peace and order in the country today: the political violence and the alleged involvement of the police in illegal drug trade. The President sounded concerned, aiming to cut the root of what could’ve snowballed into worser cases of lawlessness. “We have seen it happening in other countries around the world…let’s not allow the Philippines to go into that kind of situation. Why? That’s when governments fail, that’s when nations fail.” This statement is not just a remark by the Chief Executive as it is grounded on reality — that there can be no progress, development, or even survival without ensuring that a country is peaceful and orderly. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a speech by former managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, supported this claim, that “peace is a necessary precondition for trade, sustained economic growth, and prosperity,” and “ultimately, peace and prosperity feed on each other.” The President stressed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is the government’s “partner” in peace and order — not a foe nor the antagonist in the national picture. “The police have to be with us. They have to be on our side. We cannot do it without them. We have to have a good functioning police force,” he said, warning that those who have “succumbed to temptation” must be “brought to account.” The 1st Joint National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) Clusters' Meeting was noted by many to be timely and crucial, especially as news and social media are filled with issues, controversies, and even misinformation on the country’s peace and order situation. Filipinos are generally concerned and look up to the government to provide concrete and immediate solutions to stem the tide of violence, whether political or not, and to truly implement an impartial and transparent investigation on police personnel allegedly involved in illegal narcotics trade. The ongoing investigations will yield results in the coming days. What would be the consequences for the insurgents, the warlords, the drug syndicates, or the ninja cops? The country is waiting for the outcome as this could be a precedent, and a barometer to measure whether this administration is truly serious in its quest for accountability and good governance. Again, everyone agrees that in this “cleansing” process, which is led by the DILG, let the heads (of the true culprits) roll. And, if in case, the situation calls for a total revamp of the leadership in any agency or task force, then so be it. The Filipino people deserve nothing less than a police force with dignity, without even the slightest blemish, and beyond reproach. The nation has had enough of scandals and finger-pointing. What everyone wants is a society of peace and order above all else, because it is only in this kind of situation where opportunities can abound, where our economy can recover, and where we can truly be proud of being a Filipino.