PGMA's Statement During the Philippine National Police (PNP Command Conference |
Heroes Hall, Malacanang (20 Feb 2003) |
| THANK YOU. ... EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL THREATS, WORLD AND DOMESTIC THREATS TO PEACE IN OUR WORLD AND IN OUR COUNTRY. AND I'M CALLING ON THIS... I'M CALLING THIS COMMAND CONFERENCE TODAY TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN AGAINST STREET CRIME. THERE ARE WIDESPREAD PERCEPTIONS THAT CRIME IS ON THE RISE. SAD TO SAY, THERE ARE EVEN WIDESPREAD PERCEPTIONS THAT THE POLICE IS INEFFECTIVE. THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS UNABLE TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND PROPERTIES FROM THIEVES, ROBBERS, RAPISTS AND OTHER BAD GUYS. THESE PERCEPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL INSECURITY ARE PROBABLY BEING REINFORCED BY GROWING FEARS OF IMMINENT WAR ABROAD AND MAYBE BY ANTICIPATION OF MORE DEVASTATING TERRORIST ATTACKS. WE HAVE TO MOBILIZE THE NATION TO MEET THESE THREATS. AND WE CAN START THIS BY LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN AGAINST STREET CRIME. AS I'VE SAID EARLIER, I CAN PERCEIVE IN MY DIALOGUE WITH ORDINARY CITIZENS MOUNTING DISSATISFACTION, DISPLEASURE, DISAPPOINTMENT WITH WHAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE THE VIGOR OF POLICE RESPONSE TO CRIMES AFFECTING ORDINARY CITIZENS. I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE, OF COURSE, PNP CHIEF JUN EBDANE AND THOSE WHO WORKED WITH HIM THAT BECAUSE THE PURSUIT OF BIGTIME CRIME SYNDICATES HAS PROGRESSED. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, RESPONSE TO STREET CRIME IN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE HAS NOT BEEN SATISFACTORY. AND THERE ARE ON TV, WE SEE DAILY REPORTS OF VARIOUS CRIMES AND WE CAN PERCEIVE MOUNTING CONCERNS OF PEOPLE ABOUT RISING CRIMES. WE CAN PERCEIVE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE. THE ORDINARY CASES THAT DEMAND POLICE ATTENTION AND, THEREFORE, WE MUST FOCUS ON POLICE PERFORMANCE AT THE STATION AND PRECINCT LEVELS. THIS IS WHY IN THE PAST I'VE CALLED COMMAND CONFERENCES OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS BUT NOW I HAVE TO CALL A COMMAND CONFERENCE DOWN TO THE STATION AND PRECINCT LEVELS. THERE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET SOME IDEAS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS OF THE METRO MANILA PUBLIC REGARDING THESE MATTERS AND THEY CONFIRM THIS PERCEPTION. SO, THAT IS THE REASON WHY I'M HOLDING NOW THIS UNPRECEDENTED FIELD COMMAND CONFERENCE OF THE PNP INVOLVING OFFICIALS DOWN TO THE COMMANDERS OF POLICE STATIONS AND PRECINCTS. AND THIS CONFERENCE COVERS METRO MANILA AND ALSO THE SURROUNDING REGIONS. SO, LET ME REPEAT THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING GREAT DISPLEASURE. AND THAT THEY FEEL THAT THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE TO DELIVER A PERFORMANCE THAT THE PUBLIC EXPECTS OF THE POLICE. I FEEL THAT I'M JUSTIFIED IN EXPECTING MORE ACTION FROM THE POLICE. THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE MUCH FOR THE PNP. REMEMBER THAT AFTER TEN YEARS OF IT BEING IN THE LAW, I WAS THE ONE WHO IMPLEMENTED THE PNP SALARY INCREASES. REMEMBER THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO PUT THE BUDGET INCREASES. REMEMBER ALL THE SUPPORT THAT I HAVE EXTENDED TO YOU. NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOW OUR PEOPLE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN OR THAT HOW YOU HAVE... WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED, TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO DO. FIGHT CRIME AND STOP CRIMINALS. SO, THE PNP HAS TO DO MORE IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE. AND SO, LET'S BEGIN WITH A PRESENTATION OF THE BASELINE SITUATION SO THAT AFTER THIS IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WE CAN TOGETHER AGREE ON WHAT MORE THE PNP CAN DO SO THAT THE PEOPLE WILL FEEL SAFER IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THEIR STREETS. THE BIGGEST SINGLE THREAT, BECAUSE JUN HAS DONE A LOT ON THE KIDNAPPING, AND I HAVE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL FOR THAT. NOW, THE BIGGEST SINGLE THREAT IS THE THREAT OF THE DRUG SYNDICATES. SO I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY ASKING JUN AVENIDO TO GIVE A PRESENTATION OF THE PDEA. |