THE community is the police and the police is the community.
Time was when I would gallivant around until sundown. I had not known of what martial law was about but that is what was. I will not know of any of it but at that time as a very young boy walking home from school at SPED Center, I would soon be met by the police patrolman in our street at Bonifacio.
The policeman would call on me and send me home. He somehow knew my dad. I will later on assume that he was a graduate of Criminology in the University of Baguio. It must be that because I doubt that he knew my dad differently from what his job is.
Colonel Ping Paraan was the city police chief. I have heard of his stories recently. At one time as chief, he would round out a couple of friends and do projects. One of his projects was the Rizal Monument. He would ask from his friends particularly the Jaycees and Apaches for some construction materials and voluntary labor and voila, the Rizal Monument where the Philippine President would on Rizal Day hoist the Philippine Flag. He soon became the Mayor of Baguio City.
For some reason I found out from the National Historical Institute that the monument of Rizal here in Baguio is the only one of its kind. As explained, it is the only one that features his face. Most if not all others have Rizal as a whole, standing in full figure.
This too is the reason why through the years and even during my time as mayor, I would continue to invite the President. However in recent years, security became the reason. Nevertheless, I would at times conduct with the help of the Jaycees and the Apaches some sort of refurbishing of what it is now, the Rizal Park.
A signage will signify why it is. Many have wondered why the interest, well as I said it was made by the police and the community just to highlight it even further and as an example of what is, until today. I still hope to continue on only because the street where Rizal Park is, was named after my Lolo, Fernando Gonzaga Bautista Sr. Street.
For tourism, it is the police that helps in all the festivals, be it Panagbenga and Adivay, where security and order is in order. In Stobosa in La Trinidad, it was the police once more that helped out in the painting.
The COPS was a system created by the University of the Cordilleras under their President Rae Dean Salvosa. It proposed for the community to police the community. Soon after when I was still mayor, Saint Louis University through my Ading Donna Tabangin, prepared a program that would also help police the police and the community with a Crime Mapping System. It would help aid the police in finding out where crime happens, where and when. Yes, there is a trend every time.
It simply told the Mayor, Barangay Officials and the Police where crime happens. Simply put, we all had an idea of how often crime would happen on a certain time and place, thus the positioning of police and the policing of the community from it.
Only recently the University of Baguio conducted a regional wide survey on police perception. It was to aid and inform the Regional Police Office on how we the community receive the police. It was also to help the police correct some perceptions. This again is proof of policing the police. Glad to have learned that the police will be learning from it.
All these systems have now been copied and elevated to higher authorities in the PNP. I have for some time boasted that I beat Mayor Duterte (President), well twice consecutively as the Best City Police in the Highly Urbanized Category that also included Makati under Mayor Binay (Vice President)
Obviously here in Baguio and in the Cordilleras we have always policed the police and the community. The very reason why today Baguio once more has achieved the very same I achieved with my police. Baguio's Finest is once more the Philippines Finest! Of course I am very proud.
During the time Baguio police would have achieved a Hall of Fame, three in a row, Mayor Duterte then surrendered and said I couldn't beat Baguio. It was then decided that Baguio be differently categorized as a tourist destination. From there it was now very difficult for Baguio to get it. Until today.
Equally awarded as the Best Regional Police Office is Police Regional Office Cordillera (PRO-COR), many times. A Gold Eagle and one short but given a Silver Eagle Award was given to PRO-COR, recently and as their “police” I was honored with another Gold Eagle Award by CPNP Bato.
Recently, proof of policing the community occurred in the Cordilleras when a tribal war was averted, all because of the civilian community policing the community and the police making sure that it will work. Indeed it all worked out well.
Congratulations again to PRO-COR and Baguio's Finest! Indeed these are all testament to the culmination of the Police Community Relations Month Celebrations.