Author Archives: e-HAYAG (NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN)

Community Policing is imperative in ensuring peace, order, and safety, says the Head of NAPOLCOM 12 during the Traditional Flag Raising Ceremony in South Cotabato Police Provincial Office on April 4, 2022

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E-HAYAG WU-2022-04-001

by: R.G. Gagwis, April 13, 2022

“To emphasize further, police—together with the people and stakeholders under the good leadership of the local government—must share a common goal of being the “caretakers” of the community. After all, law enforcement work is more than just a job to most who get involved in it. It is both challenging and rewarding.”

(RODEL M. CALO, 2022)

Koronadal City, South Cotabato—Director Rodel M. Calo, Regional Director of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) XII, graced the Traditional Flag Raising Ceremony of South Cotabato Police Provincial Office (SCPPO), under the leadership of PCOL Nathaniel G. Villegas, on April 4, 2022 as the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHS).

Director RODEL M. CALO, Regional Director, NAPOLCOM XII

According to the Regional Director, he spent thirty-three (33) years of his lifetime in the police service. In those times, he took the inspirational messages from every guest and speaker personally—more than just a ceremonial rite; for he believed that behind every fragment and construct of words was a context of values, principles and ideologies, which served as guide for the police to deliver its mandates beyond mediocrity. In view of this, Dir. Calo took the podium with the weight of responsibility to empower the members of SCPPO on the principles of policing as the speaker on the 4th of April CY 2022. Dir. Calo then started his speech by reading lines culled from the works of  Abhijit Naskar  (2020) in his book Boldly Comes Justice: Sentient not Silent:

“My brave, conscientious officers of the law, if you want people to trust you, don’t use the phrase “police are your friends”, for it only makes you sound authoritarian, egotistical and condescending – instead, remind them “police are humans too” – acknowledge your mistakes and work towards correcting them, so that you can truly become the Caretaker of People, which is the very definition of COP [emphasis added].”

(Abhijit Naskar, 2020)

Within the same context—“police as caretakers of the people,” the Director furthered his narrative towards the philosophy and strategies of community policing. Thereafter, he highlighted the Community and Service-Oriented Policing (CSOP) system which was established through NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 342, Series of 2015.

He emphasized that the local police, the local populace, and the stakeholders of the Criminal Justice System (CJS), under the good leadership of the local government must share a common goal—by becoming the collective caretakers of their respective communities; and, therefore, community policing is imperative, especially during these challenging times amid pandemic.

“To emphasize further, police—together with the people and stakeholders under the good leadership of the local government—must share a common goal of being the “caretakers” of the community. After all, law enforcement work is more than just a job to most who get involved in it. It is both challenging and rewarding.”

(RODEL M. CALO, 2022)

Dir. Calo also took the opportunity to reiterate his commitment as a public servant. As a recapitulation of the manifestation of intent during his first ever Executive Visit in SCPPO on April 5, 2021, the good NAPOLCOM Director emphasized that the capability enhancement of both the NAPOLCOM XII and the PNP in the region, particularly in the fields of human resource management, logistics management, and investigation that were anchored to the Presidential Directives given by PRRD in his SONAs and Cabinet Meetings, was in his priorities. “I take it as a personal commitment to support our PNP in the region not only as the oversight body of PRO 12 but also as partners in improving peace and order situation,” he added.

Leading by example in one of the elements of community policing—partnership, the good Director announced that the Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Council of DILG XII has issued its resolutions based on the policy proposal jointly undertaken by NAPOLCOM XII and PRO XII, namely:

  • MSAC XII Resolution No. 2021-008 which urges the LGUs to support CSOP of NAPOLCOM 12 and the PNP in Region 12 in capacity-building activities for force multipliers – BPATS, Tanods, Barangay Intelligence Networks, and Other Force Multipliers.
  • MSAC XII Resolution No. 2021-012 and RDC XII Resolution 2021-149 which urges the LGUs to acquire body worn cameras for the PNP of Region XII.

His intent was to assure the leaders of SCPPO of the level of commitment that DILG XII and NAPOLCOM XII share in supporting the improvement of logistics capability of the police force in the region. Toward the end of his speech, Dir. Calo gave his high expectation for the SCPPO to deliver what must be beyond its badge in the name of serving and protecting the people.

Mobilizing the community in the context of the Whole-of-Nation Approach and CSOP System using the lingua franca of Glan, Sarangani

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Ms. Veronica C. Hatague, the Acting Regional Director of the National Police Commission in Region XII (NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN), was invited by the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region as one of the guests to grace its community-based anti-violent extremism and anti-criminality campaign entitled Preventing Violent Extremism and Criminality through Localized Community Engagement with Indigenous Peoples Organizations on March 27, 2021 at the Municipality Gymnasium of Glan, Sarangani.

At about 10:15 in the morning, Ms. Hatague delivered an approximately nine-minute keynote speech which summarized the relevance of Executive Order No. 70, also known as the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), NAPOLCOM’s Community and Service-Oriented Policing (CSOP) System, Whole-of-Nation Approach and Whole-of-Government Approach, particularly in the delivery of basic services to the public at large.

Endowed with the gift to speak in three (3) Filipino languages (Tagalog, Cebuano and Ilonggo/Hiligaynon), Ms. Hatague fluently engaged the community in Cebuano language (Cagayan de Oro dialect or variant). For the Head of NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN, mobilizing the community to actively support and embrace the programs of the government is always a matter of communication among the people. By using a common language that is mutually intelligible between and among the State actors and the public is most often than not overlooked yet it plays the most crucial part.

Ms. Hatague commended the efforts of the Local Chief Executive (LCE) of Glan, Hon. Vivien B. Yap, MD for hosting the event in support of the National Support Unit (NSU), specifically, the RIU-XII. At the helm of the regulatory agency for the PNP in SOCCSKSARGEN, Ms. Hatague also complimented the efforts of Mayor Yap in fulfillment of the duties and functions as the NAPOLCOM deputy as provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 8551, amending RA No. 6975, and The Local Government Code. Moreover, it was even notable that the Honorable Mayor extended support to an NSU.

Bai Maya Lita Balandan Villamor, the President of Lumad Blaan United Association, was also present in the event. She was given the assurance that the customary laws of Blaan people shall form part of the proposed models of conflict resolution under the CSOP System of NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN.

In like manner, the Head of NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN was grateful and honored to have witnessed and participated in the launching of the community engagement of RIU-XII, headed by PLTCOL Narciso D. Langcauon. As gesture of good governance and practice, Ms. Hatague recognized its initiative in the context of preventing violent extremism through community-based projects and activities, especially in areas of socioeconomic and police-related endeavors for public service. In this regard, based on the performance of the police unit, Ms. Hatague placed high expectations on RIU-XII to achieve the Medalya ng Katangi-tanging Gawa (PNP Outstanding Achievement) should it continue to serve and protect the public through community engagements.

Reported by Raage

Crime Prevention Focal Point System (CPFPS) Unit, SOCCSKSARGEN

A piece to remember from the Head of NAPOLCOM SOCCSKSARGEN during the celebration of the National Women’s Month

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The Head of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12) was invited by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 as the Guest of Honor and Speaker for the Kick-off Ceremony to celebrate the National Women’s Month.

On March 09, 2020, Veronica C. Hatague, Acting Regional Director of NAPOLCOM Region 12, took the podium and addressed the topics on gender, empowerment and family in front of the police officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, and the non-uniformed personnel of PRO 12.

Instead of the typical and recurring pointers on the applicable policy guidelines of Gender and Development, Ms. Hatague chose to talk about gender by, firstly, recognizing the existence and involvement of women in the society. With poise and conviction, she asked the audience to take a look around and determine which has not been touched and graced by a woman.

The Acting Regional Director seized the moment to let the men of the police force in SOCCSKSARGEN be grateful to their mothers and wives for the contributions of these women in their career, duties and obligations. The policemen were encouraged to acknowledge what the women could give more than just their biological make up; to focus on what women could do rather than the otherwise.

In her speech on gender in general, the police officers throughout the region were reminded of the gender inclusivity and essence in celebrating the National Women’s Month. Ms. Hatague emphasized that the Constitution has justly provided for the rights of every citizen—in like manner that every human were created equally; by “every,” she meant all genders.

Most importantly, especially on policing, Ms. Hatague hinted that it is vital for the police to imbue the underlying values and principles embedded in the gender-laws that must be enforced. She then urged the police officers to empower the public by giving them the appropriate means to understand that gender-related crimes and rape, among others, are crimes punishable by any applicable law of the land—and not as  an excuse to disrespect no to objectify any gender, most especially the women and children.

Lastly, the matriarch of NAPOLCOM Region 12 firmly believed that the families play the crucial roles in shaping a gender-prejudiced society–that inculcation of values and perspectives on gender start within them.