“These outstanding policemen and women are a testament of our police force’s dedication to their sworn duty and professionalism towards performing their responsibilities,” said Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto “Chito” M. Sobrepeña. “It is through the Search for COPS,” he continued, “that we give honor to the exemplary members of the PNP who have worked together with their communities in crime solution and prevention.”  

From a pool of almost 100 nominees, the awardees have gone through a rigorous screening process which involved documents review and a panel interview that was conducted by a board of judges composed of key personalities in the different sectors of the society. The Final Board of Judges was co-chaired by Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice, who was then Chair of the Commission on Human Rights, and Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo of the Supreme Court, while its members included Dr. Jose Ma. Arsenio Mariano, president of the University of Asia and the Pacific; Atty. Eusebio Tan, president of the Management Association of the Philippines; Atty. Jose Tale, chairman of the Couples for Christ; Paul Schafer, resident representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation; and Joel Reyes Zobel, a broadcast journalist from Super Radyo DZBB of GMA Network. 

Each awardee will receive a cash prize worth P250,000 and a trophy courtesy of the Metrobank Foundation.  

Now on its eighth year, the Search for COPS is an annual program undertaken by the Metrobank Foundation, Rotary Club of New Manila East and PSBank, in cooperation with the Philippine National Police. With the aim to recognize the shared responsibility between the police and the community, the recognition is given to gallant men and women of the police force who are able to work with the community in preventing and solving crime.