By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PLtGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Monday reminded the public to treat official police uniforms with respect.
This is in response to a viral photo of a civilian wearing a police uniform with ripped sleeves as a Halloween costume, which drew flak from netizens and law enforcement personnel.
“The PNP uniform symbolizes service, sacrifice, and integrity. Our uniform is a symbol of our duty to serve and protect the public; this should not be used as a costume or for any gimmickry,” Nartatez said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.
Nartatez said the incident is now being investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for violation of Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes the illegal use of uniforms and insignias. The probe will also determine where the partygoer obtained the police uniform that he wore.
Nartatez, however, ordered concerned police units to run after those who illegally sell police uniforms.
The acting PNP chief also instructed the Anti-Cybercrime Group to monitor online platforms and coordinate with e-commerce sites to detect and remove unauthorized listings selling official or imitation PNP uniforms.
On Monday, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) presented the erring civilian identified as Daryll Isidro, who apologized for his actions.
Nartatez acknowledged the public apology issued by Isidro on social media, but emphasized that the situation highlights the need to educate the public on the proper regard for official symbols of authority.
“We appreciate the apology and urge everyone to take this issue as a learning opportunity. The uniform represents the trust and responsibility vested in our police officers; it should always be treated with respect,” said Nartatez.
He said the PNP has gone a long way to address negative perceptions of the police, citing that the force had signed a memorandum of agreement with the movie industry on the use of police uniforms in television shows and movies.
Past PNP chiefs have also repeatedly appealed to the parents not to use the police to scare their children, and even formulated policies to bring the police closer to the public. (PNA)
