FOCUSED. Members of the Manila Police District’s Mobile Force Battalion secure the Supreme Court premises in Manila on March 12, 2025. The Philippine National Police on Thursday (March 13) said it focused on implementing its mandate to maintain peace and order following Duterte’s arrest in connection with the International Criminal Court’s probe into his administration’s war on drugs. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday downplayed allegations making rounds on social media that the morale of the police is low following the arrest and eventual transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague in the Netherlands.
“Iyong kumakalat na sinasabing sympathetic iyong mga pulis natin na umiiyak during the implementation po ng warrant or arrest, hindi po totoo iyon,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said in a panel discussion in Malacañang.
Fajardo said the PNP is “professional” and focused on implementing its mandate to maintain peace and order following Duterte’s arrest in connection with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
“Alam nila na andoon tayo para magpapatupad ng ating mandato at iyon ang ginawa natin, sabi nga natin, mission accomplished kaya mataas ang moral ng pulis natin (They know that we are there to implement our mandate and that is what we did, as we say, mission accomplished, which is why our police morale is high),” she said.
In a press conference at Camp Crame, Fajardo said there are certain ethical standards and norms within the PNP in expressing their views, especially “that we know the PNP is an apolitical and non-partisan organization.”
“Again, we respect their views but in airing these views while you are inside the PNP short of saying you are being partisans already and then hindi yun sa tingin namin tama (it is not proper),” Fajardo said.
Fajardo said if there are police officers who openly expressed their views on Duterte’s arrest, PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said “let us just remind our people.”
“Hangga’t miyembro sila ng (As long as they are members of the) PNP there are certain limits in expressing their views because they are part of the PNP,” she said. “As long as they are members of the PNP they should observe some policy airing their sentiments in social media.”
The PNP exercised maximum tolerance when they served the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against Duterte, which was received by the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). (Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
