For peace and order to be sustainable, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri told officials and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) the importance of carrying out a different kind of PPP: a strong police-public partnership.
Speaking at the 122nd anniversary celebration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) held in Camp Crame in Quezon City, Zubiri encouraged law enforcers to strengthen the community’s role in peacekeeping by working for enhanced public cooperation.
“How do we strengthen and redefine the role of the police in this day and age? Natutuwa po ako dahil mukhang may magandang sagot na ang PNP dito, in this year’s theme of “Nagkakaisang Pulisya at Pamayanan tungo sa Mapayapa at Maunlad na Bansa (I am happy because the PNP has a ready answer through its theme of a ‘’Unified Police and Public Understanding’’ leading to a peaceful and prosperous country),” the Senate President said.
“This theme emphasizes a very important key in unlocking genuine peace and progress: the acknowledgment that the police and the public are partners, with a shared commitment and investment in the good of all,” he added.
As citizens depend on the police as guardians of peace and safety, Zubiri said the public must not fear the police, “but rather respect them as protectors of the rule of law, and therefore of our democratic rights.”
“The Service, on its part, must be able to engage with the public not as mere subjects of surveillance, apprehension and punishment, but as active partners in peacekeeping,” he further said.
“The PNP can build stronger avenues for unity and cooperation between the police and the public, towards genuine peace and progress in our communities and in our country,” he added.
In honoring the PNP for its service to the people, Zubiri explained the scope of the responsibilities of the police force outside of keeping the peace and law enforcement, which range from search and rescue to community development, to roles in transportation, healthcare, disaster management, environmental protection, gender and development, and youth empowerment and intervention.
"The PNP has to juggle an overwhelming volume of cases and complaints from our people," he pointed out.
“And yet, despite these extraordinary demands on the Service, you have continually risen to the occasion, and committed yourselves wholly and wholeheartedly to the public good … Public servant to public servant – hanga po ako sa inyong walang- kapantay na tapang at walang-pagod na serbisyo (I salute your bravery and filly-energized service),” Zubiri said.
“I thank and salute you all for over a century of being our partners in upholding the law," he stressed.
"As lawmakers, we can write and approve all the laws that we want – but our efforts mean nothing without the steadfast work of our law enforcement agencies, including, most prominently, the PNP," he added.