The 220,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) was urged on Monday to always strive for “excellence and integrity” as it celebrated its 30th foundation day on Monday.
“Our people’s trust in us [as] their public servants, should be compensated with our continuous efforts to better ourselves,” Commissioner Vitaliano Aguirre II, vice chairman and executive officer of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) said.
The newly appointed Napolcom official was the guest of honor and keynote speaker during the PNP’s anniversary celebration at Camp Crame.
Aguirre recognized the PNP for performing its law enforcement and public safety mandate during “extraordinary times.”
“From the Taal Volcano eruption, the spate of devastating typhoons, up to the Covid-19 pandemic, all these have tested our limits, both as a country and as individuals. Yet, in the face of all these challenges, plus the issues of peace and order, we have seen how our police force have adopted and have shown admirable flexibility, and have even led admirably, amidst the ever changing landscape of the Covid-19 scourge,” Aguirre said.
“The greater challenge ahead of us demands for a police force that is flexible, agile, and adaptable, and can thrive in any volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous situation,” he added.
PNP chief General Debold Sinas said the event was also in honor of the 28 PNP members who have succumbed to Covid-19.
“We are not only celebrating the meaningful 30 year journey of the PNP, but it is also fitting to pay tribute to our 28 fellow PNP members who unfortunately did not survive the corona virus disease. Let their memories be our inspiration to pursue their interrupted mission to serve our country and people,” he said.