Excise the rot

It was a sunny morning that working day early in the pandemic.

After hearing news on the radio (I now forget what exactly it was all about) as I drove to the office, I pulled the car to the side along an empty White Plains Avenue before the People Power Monument in order to fire off my thoughts to editors and reporters to help start their day.

As I typed away on my mobile phone, I sensed another car draw up by my window. Glancing up to my left, I saw a patrol car right beside my door. The police sergeant (well, judging from the air of authority and experience he had) at the passenger seat was looking at me intently as he called out: “Magandang umaga po: okay ba kayo? (Good morning, sir: are you okay?)”

Startled by the sudden break to the train of thought in my messaging, I stammered: “Oo” and waved absentmindedly. And the squad car drove off.

I realized later on how I must have looked to those cops: a car parked along that lonely road amid a raging pandemic, whose driver was slumped in his seat, seemingly staring blankly at the floor with head bowed. Is this guy in trouble? Is he contemplating suicide? Is he having a heart attack, in pulmonary distress or some other health emergency?

I have since regretted not having stopped those cops to get their names, to thank them, and not having commended them to their regional superiors and to the Philippine National Police chief back then.

But it is their image that automatically comes to mind as I strain to believe the government’s insistence that most cops conscientiously do their duties away from the limelight, in the face of news on crimes committed by rogue cops that bombard us almost daily.

That incident demonstrated to me the timeless silent power of even just one simple good deed, or the extra mile travelled in the fulfillment of duty, with neither fanfare nor thought of any reward.

So, allow me to start this discussion on this hopeful note.

IN SEARCH OF EXPLANATIONS…
The Philippine National Police (PNP) — together, in varied degrees, with the Bureau of Fire Protection (which the Interior and Local Government chief earlier this month described as “one of the most corrupt organizations in the country”¹), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) —— has been getting a bad rap lately.

There seems to be some variance between the police’s public trust ratings and views of folks I deal with (business owners, senior executives, economists and other academicians, etc.). While the latter generally say that they would deal with cops at arm’s length due to reports of crimes committed by a few misfits among them (anyone here think differently, by chance?), surveys conducted by the public opinion outfit OCTA Research showed PNP trust and performance ratings rising to 71% and 73%, respectively, in July 2025 from 62% on both counts in April that same year².

The police garnered those readings, mind you, less than half a year after hearings in the House of Representatives implicated a couple of retired senior cops in the drug war killings, adding to the regular fare of news reports on active or dismissed/absent-without-leave policemen involved in other crimes.

At the same time, a December 2025 survey by OCTA showed “to avoid being a victim of any serious crime” as the fifth biggest “urgent personal concerns for adult Filipinos” — an issue that falls squarely under the PNP’s purview³.

Not that police involvement in crime is unique to the Philippines. (I recall a Japanese friend who once complained of corruption in the Osaka police.) It is a problem that hounds police departments around the world, so much so that this is a favorite theme for films like Serpico (1973), based on the true-to-life story of an idealistic, unconventional undercover cop who blew the whistle on widespread corruption hounding New York’s Finest in the 1970s; The Untouchables (1987); L.A. Confidential (1997); Training Day (2001); Internal Affairs (2002); American Gangster (2007), etc.

There is no lack of research on this phenomenon. Such studies blame factors like individual failings, organizational (including structural) weakness or actual involvement with crime groups, lack of deterrence, a departmental value system that condones wrongdoing, weak leadership/management, general cynicism in the leadership and ranks, etc.⁴

Other possible explanations include the very environment in which cops operate that is marked by their close proximity both to the people they are supposed to protect and to criminals they are supposed to fight (requiring police infiltration of crime groups that expose undercover cops to co-option — I personally know of a particularly tragic case in which the cop vanished and has been presumed dead by his wife and kids), their armed authority, widespread opportunities to make a quick buck through crime, etc.

Closer to home, one particular study on the PNP itself found that, among others, the institution remains “highly militarized” and “thoroughly politicized”; maintains a system wherein good works by lower ranks are not always supported by senior officers; and has “a closed culture which separates it from the wider society in terms of governance and management, even though most of its problems involving unethical conduct and corruption are merely part of a wider civic tolerance for corruption in the broader Philippine society.”⁵

Just a thought on the observation that the PNP is “highly militarized”: I do recall a senior police officer complaining in a radio interview two years ago that, unlike before when the police were still under military command, superiors today hesitate to correct erring cops because the latter might shoot them. That’s a clear breakdown in basic discipline right there. Private sector managers tell supervisory and rank-and-file folks that “this is not a democracy” when objectives and targets are set, and directives are given after hearing subordinates’ inputs, reservations and objections. But I have yet to hear of any manager who feared for his/her life in giving such directives or correcting flaws/shortcomings/misdeeds.

… AND ANSWERS
That we are not alone here is little consolation though, and the current government’s rush to curb corruption that is fast eroding the country’s attractiveness to investors provides a once-in-a-blue moon window to take more energetic measures to rid our cops, firemen, and jailers of this disease (law and order, plus personal safety, after all, being key indicators which businesses monitor).

1. Basics first. As with most problems, any remedial effort starts with the basics. How many of us have seen news stories on new cops involved in crimes like road rage shootings, drug trafficking, and murder, and asked: “What the hell are they teaching at the PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy, which also provides officers of the BFP, BJMP, and BuCor)?” Recall that the former senior PNP officers implicated in the drug war killings were all classmates in that academy. Add to the PNPA the one-year basic training program for enlisted cops, firemen, and jailers; the Philippine Public Safety College, which further trains PNP, BFP, BJMP, and BuCor officers and personnel; as well as the National Fire Training Institute and the National Jail Management and Penology Training Institute.

So, at least, we have education and training structures established along the promotion route in these institutions.

Before proceeding, let’s get one consideration out of the way: the old complaint that cops (as well as firemen and jailers) are not paid enough. Even in the private sector, this would be a fair comment — one cannot attract and keep talent if they are paid peanuts.

But for all uniformed personnel, this complaint no longer holds. The basic monthly pay of the lowest patrolman, fireman, and jailer is P31,151, while the entry level for officers — police lieutenant/fire inspector/jail inspector — is P52,004⁶. Those amounts dwarf entry-level pay for college grads in small- and medium-sized enterprises that make up more than 99% of registered businesses in the country. On top of basic pay and the mandatory 13^th month pay are additional remuneration like hazard pay, subsistence and clothing allowance, anniversary bonus, yearend bonus, longevity pay, etc.

If any recruit or officer still thinks that their pay is low, then by all means leave.

I, for one, laud the pay hike of uniformed personnel (some -— though not all — of who risk their lives for our safety and security), but I, as a taxpayer, do expect a corresponding improvement in professionalism and performance to match that benefit.

2. Mind the method… I don’t know how values are taught to cops, firemen, and jailers — requests for interviews with those in charge went unanswered — but, based on how this concern is handled elsewhere in the government and even in several private organizations, chances are this effort involves a subject, seminar, or module that forms part of a requirement for appointment or promotion.

This is WRONG.

Mere attendance, which is usually the sole requirement, does not translate to conviction.

We all know how required one-off subjects/seminars/modules go — in all probability, they are viewed with indifference, skepticism, or derision, making ideas enter one ear and exit the other. Very little, if any, of the lesson is retained.

I would go with the framework which the University of Asia and the Pacific adopted for its new Public Governance and Leadership program, which involves both values-focused subjects and seminars, as well as an injection of such formation wherever and whenever applicable in all the other subjects.

Applied to the uniformed services, this means values formation ought to permeate the entire organizational structure, and not be confined to periodic seminars.

3. … The tone… I have heard that some of these lessons are conducted by chaplains. Yes, priests, pastors, and imams have their role to play here.

But any kind of pep talk with religious overtones risks prompting participants to compartmentalize what they learn (just observe how many of those we know act during the rest of the week after hearing homilies/sermons in their respective weekly services). Better if ideals are applied to real-life situations in case studies (e.g., demonstrating utang ng loob (debt of gratitude) vs. rule of law, personal loyalties vs. whistleblowing, personal/parochial considerations vs. institutional integrity, etc.). In this way, such principles are shown contributing to practical positive outcomes, both in society and one’s personal circumstances (including work performance, and, in turn, promotion).

4. … and the need for exemplars. There is nothing more convincing than a lecturer/speaker who’s “been there, done that” and has “walked the talk.” At the same time, nothing kills credibility faster than leadership hypocrisy.

Save for a handful, I have yet to hear government leaders who speak convincingly of standards, sounding instead as if they were reciting the text of some manual from memory.

I’m sure that the uniformed services have had partnerships with institutions like the School of Diplomacy and Governance at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the Ateneo School of Government, and the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (meaning they can tap experts there), etc., but, again, tapping trainers/lecturers among uniformed veterans (yes, who are also products of these schools) will improve chances that participants will better internalize what they hear in the classroom.

5. Cement values across the system. Find ways to tighten the bolt after imparting values, by putting relevant mechanisms in place.

For example: I have not seen how PNP performance appraisals are conducted, but it is clear from successive cases of crimes committed by cops all these years that much remains to be desired here. A thorough review of this system is, therefore, in order.

Secondly, put in place a support system for those striving to apply prescribed values on specific operations. Such a system necessarily includes supportive PNP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor chiefs and regional directors who will whip subordinate commanders in line, as well as mentors from respected veterans, both in active service and retired.

Such a support system may even lead to the formation of a support group of peers. The Young Officers Union of the 1980s comes to mind, although that group was formed for a completely different reason and evolved in undesired ways. The formation of such a clique in the uniformed services is a double-edged sword.

6. Find ways to better insulate the PNP from politics. It is galling to hear of cops who act as errand boys for politicians. That these cases persist show that efforts here, so far, have been wanting.

Hence, the need for a better way to protect them from political influence and interference. This step forms an indispensable part of an overall reform that will make sure that they are not coopted and swallowed up by patronage.

Now that governance is such a hot topic, it cannot be business as usual for values formation in the PNP and other uniformed services.

Let’s not kid ourselves though: it will take a few generations to rid an entire bureaucracy of corruption. Well did Rossana A. Fajardo, country managing partner at SGV & Co. (EY Philippines) and former commissioner of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, say that “it would take several lifetimes” to do so, “[b]ecause then you will probably need to take out everyone who is part of the system”.

Without genuine systemic change, no amount of “ethics/value formation” and “moral recovery program” will uproot and reform entrenched bad habits. These efforts will just be a waste of time and money.

¹ https://tinyurl.com/22p62wj

² https://tinyurl.com/2boyewd8

³ https://tinyurl.com/2bxxk4lb

⁴ Mark Pagrebin and Burton Atkins, “Probable causes for police corruption: some theories,” Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Spring 1976, pp. 9-16.

Paul G. Mascara, “Police corruption and organizational structures: An ethicist’s view,” Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 12, Issue 3, 1984, pp. 235-245.

Wim Broer and Maurice Punch, “Corruption in the police — A sociological perspective,” Tijdschrift voor de polite, Vol. 41, Issue 4, 1979, pp. 173-189.

⁵ Glenn Matatag and Seville Varona, “Towards Improving Ethics and Governance in the Philippine National Police: A critical systemic review,” School of Social and Policy Studies, Flinders University, 2011.

⁶ Executive Order No. 107, s. 2025 (https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/Issuances/2026/National-Budget-Circular/NATIONAL-BUDGET-CIRCULAR-NO-600.pdf)

Wilfredo G. Reyes was editor-in-chief of BusinessWorld from 2020 through 2023.