Monday, January 12, 2009 More benefits for cops pushed
INTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Sunday that he will work on more housing, medical, and educational benefits for the police officers this year.
In his New Year message to the men and women of the Philippine National Police (PNP) last Saturday, Puno said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will also ensure that the country’s national police force will get enough logistics and resources for it to efficiently carry out its main task of protecting the people.
He said the additional procurement of vehicles and firearms this year for the PNP will complement its latest acquisition of 271 patrol jeeps, 215 light transport vehicles, 150 motorcycles, and 28 Scene of the Crime Operation (Soco) vans.
“We will do all we can to provide for the necessities of your everyday life, including the provision of adequate pay and allowances,” Puno told PNP officers and men during the event. “We will continue to work for more housing for policemen, and we will examine ways to improve medical and education assistance for all of you.”
Puno said he has directed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and other DILG agencies to study ways on how to implement these benefits for policemen this year.
While the DILG is working to increase benefits for police personnel, he said the PNP should, in return, intensify efforts to win back the trust and confidence of the people in the organization and “lead the national effort to make our democratic ideals become part and parcel of our everyday lives.”
“Every member of the community must be able to see you as a protective Kuya (elder brother) or a disciplining father who keeps order in the neighborhood you serve,” Puno said.
The DILG chief hoped that by the end of 2009, the PNP will have regained the trust and confidence of the public, and not just half of the population as recent surveys reveal, through the implementation of its key programs meant to make the streets safe for Filipinos.
Crucial to this objective, he said, is the implementation of the Integrated Transformation Program (ITP), which is spearheaded by PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa.
The ITP, which is integral to the Arroyo administration’s international commitment to democratic governance and justice reforms, aims to help strengthen the PNP’s capability to maintain public order and safety as well as enhance the welfare of members of the police force over a 10-year period starting 2005.
It was first conceptualized in 2003 and then developed through a comprehensive study funded by the government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The program covers 10 major areas that should undergo reforms to transform the PNP into a capable, effective, and credible police force.
These areas are: national policy and institutions development, police operations, facilities development, human resources development, administrative and financial management, strategic planning and performance management, information and communication technology, demonstration of excellence through development of key practices, public information and advocacy, and reform management. (Press release)
