Rise from Ravage

GREETINGS…..
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
These are words that best describe the challenge that the PNP is faced today. We are all aware that as law enforcers, our main task is to keep peace and order, but with the changing times, our main roles changed. While we continue to perform our assigned tasked on one hand, there is another pressing issue we have to contend with on the other hand – corruption within our ranks.
During the past years and recent months, our organization has been marred by corruption, not only because of misdemeanors of non-officers but officers as well. The public’s trust on us has been severely ravaged. No amount of public relations can turn this around. We need a lot of hard work and self-cleansing to reclaim the trust that has once given honor to our uniforms.
When he took the helm of the organization, PNP Chief Director General Jesus Versoza promised the nation that he will bring back the glory that the police once had. He took off where his predecessor has left – continue to bring back “Mamang Pulis” and rid the PNP of “kotong cops”.
Although this is not far from possible, it is neither easy nor swift. We cannot change the organization overnight. And the first step is almost always difficult. I believe that the first step is to change ourselves--moral recovery for every individual policeman is imperative.
We must admit that corruption within our ranks proliferated because of the decline of our moral standards. Most of us have chosen to follow the culture of corruption in all its forms, that plagued most societies in the world today.
But it is not yet too late for us to take the initial step. Let us go back to basics – change must start within ourselves. Amidst our daily tasks and problems, let us take a few moments to reflect-perhaps we have been remiss in our relationship with our Creator, we have forgotten His teachings, we have lost our faith in Him. Perhaps this is the right time for us to renew and strengthen our faith in Him, from whom all powers come.
Corruption is so powerful that once it is embedded in the system, it is never easy to exonerate but with the help of a more powerful force, it can be totally devastated. Let us not gear our efforts to anti-corruption campaigns that will result in mere superficial effects. It is time to stop the practice of glossing over the façade of the organization with public relations campaigns that do not actually give solutions. It is time to face the problem head-on.
Today, I exhort all of you to start taking the first step so that in no time, our organization will gain back its glory – free of corruption and full of public trust!
Thank you and a pleasant day to everyone.

(Note: I wrote this speech for a friend who is a PNP General and will be delivered this Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 during the command’s flag raising rites)