A top official on Monday reminded cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) to ensure that they let people know that “the government is working for them and not against them.”

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman made this call in a speech during the Distinguished Visitors Program of the PNPA at Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda in Silang town, Cavite province.

She said their duty as uniformed personnel is to serve as the nation’s “vanguards of peace and order, safety and security.”

Pangandaman assured the police cadets that the DBM fully supports the PNPA’s vision to be a world-class center of excellence in public safety education.

“Our pursuit of reform-oriented service towards public trust is also evident in the 2023 proposed national budget which was crafted to ensure that no one will be left behind – from our public servants including our uniformed personnel to the public we are sworn to protect,” she said.

She also expressed her full support to the PNPA’s Cadetship Program to develop professional, morally upright and dedicated public safety officers imbued with the values of justice, integrity, and service.

Under the proposed national budget, the DBM has allocated a total of PHP191.85 billion for the PNP.

A total of PHP27.79 billion was allocated the Bureau of Fire Protection while PHP22.34 billion was allotted for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Pangandaman was accorded arrival honors composed of an all-female battalion sized contingent during the event.

PNPA Acting Director Police Brigadier General Eric Noble, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Pangandaman and presented the current status of the different infrastructural projects of the Academy as part of the PNPA Camp Master Development Plan.

In his speech during the 121st Police Service anniversary in August, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. told police officers in the country to ensure that they are “firmly grounded” on moral principles in the performance of their sworn duties.

He also reminded the PNP that the use of force in their operations must be “reasonable, justifiable and only undertaken when necessary.”

Marcos, however, believes that the PNP has “done well and continue to do so in this regard.”

Marcos earlier assured that his administration’s crackdown against illegal drugs would focus more on prevention and rehabilitation rather than law enforcement. (PNA)

Photo Credit: Facebook/Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA)