RESPONSE OF COPS AWARDEE

By PSupt. Leo M. Francisco

Conferment Ceremonies of 2010 Search for Country’s Outstanding Policemen in Service  

December 9, 2010; 2:00 p.m. 

FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE OFFICERS OF METROBANK FOUNDATION FOR THIS DISTINCT PRIDE AND HONOR OF ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK FOR AND IN BEHALF OF THIS YEAR’S BATCH OF WINNERS OF THE METROBANK SEARCH FOR THE COUNTRY’S OUTSTANDING POLICEMEN IN SERVICE (COPS).  

MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THANK THE ALMIGHTY GOD FOR ALL HIS BLESSINGS AND LOVE FROM WHICH ALL THINGS ARE MADE POSSIBLE. ALSO, I DEDICATE THIS AWARD TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WHO, IN SO MANY WAYS, HAVE HELPED ME ACHIEVE THIS AWARD:

§                TO MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WHO, DESPITE THEIR HARDSHIPS AND SACRIFICES, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO LOVE AND SUPPORT ME;

§                TO MY PARENTS FOR RAISING ME WITH THE FEAR OF GOD, LOVE FOR FAMILY, COURAGE TO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, AND ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY TO BE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS; AND

§                TO PDIR ROBERTO L ROSALES, THEN REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF NCRPO, WHO HAS BEEN MY MENTOR AND SECOND FATHER IN THE POLICE SERVICE. HE IS AN OUTSTANDING COP WHO PUSHES ME TO BE MORE OF THE SERVANT-LEADER THAT I REALLY WANT TO BE.

I STAND IN THE MIDST OF EXCELLENT POLICEMEN - NINE (9) POLICEMEN WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING QUALITIES THAT SET THEM APART FROM THE REST. ALTHOUGH, IF YOU SHOULD ASK US ON HOW WE HAVE SPENT OUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES, AND ACCORD OURSELVES IN THE SERVICE, WE WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE JUST ORDINARY POLICEMEN.  

IT IS NOT A NEGATION OF WHAT THE COPS AWARD REPRESENTS BUT AN EXPRESSION OF UTMOST HUMILITY AND SHOW OF GREAT DEDICATION TO OUR CHOSEN PROFESSION. OUR PERFORMANCE AT WORK EXHIBITS A PATTERN OF EXCELLENCE, NO LESS. LIKE THIS REPRESENTATION, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ONE NEED NOT DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS TO BE OUTSTANDING. AN OUTSTANDING PERSON WOULD ALWAYS DO EVEN ORDINARY THINGS, EXTRAORDINARILY.  

BEING A MEMBER OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE, THE PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTION OF OUR COUNTRY, THE NORM IS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS JUST, AND WHAT IS FOR THE GREATER GOOD. 

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PREVENT AND SOLVE CRIMES IS AN EXCITING, YET CHALLENGING TASK. ON ONE HAND, IT PROVIDES YOU THAT RARE CHANCE OF HAVING TO MEET AND HELP PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND MAKE THEM SEE THE STRONG YET COMPASSIONATE HAND OF THE LAW. ON THE OTHER, IT PRESENTS YOU WITH SITUATIONS THAT WOULD REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF PATIENCE, HUMILITY, DEDICATION TO DUTY, COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE OF OTHERS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF POLICE WORK, AND A BIG HEART TO SERVE. THESE QUALITIES ARE NOT INDICATED IN THE RESUMES OF OUR COPS AWARDEES AND YET THESE ARE THE QUALITIES THAT STAND OUT IN ALL OF US. 

MY INCLUSION IN THIS YEAR’S COPS AWARDEES IS ONE OF MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN LIFE. I HAVE SEEN THE LIST OF PREVIOUS WINNERS AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM REALLY PROUD FOR RECEIVING THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD. I HOPE THAT MY WINNING THIS AWARD WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT DESPITE THE ODDS AND DENIGRATION BEING EXPERIENCED BY OUR ORGANIZATION, WE CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE MISSION OF THE PNP TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE, HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE COMMUNITY; AND I SAY THIS WITH DEEP CONVICTION. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR US: TO GAIN AND MAINTAIN THE TRUST OF THE PEOPLE. I BELIEVE THOUGH THAT AS LONG AS WE DO EVEN THE MOST ORDINARY TASK IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY, WE ARE ABLE TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE IN US AND IN THE LONG RUN, WE BECOME STEWARDS OF PEACE AND ORDER TRUSTED AND SUPPORTED BY THEM.  

FROM GROWING UP IN THE SIMPLE TOWN OF GASAN IN THE PROVINCE OF MARINDUQUE, UP TO THE TIME I JOINED THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY (PMA) AND LATER ON THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE, I HAVE SEEN AND FELT THAT GOD AND MY EXPERIENCES HAVE PREPARED ME FOR GREATER THINGS FOR MY FAMILY AND PEOPLE. TO MY CLASSMATES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE I STUDIED WAY BACK IN 1976 TO 1982, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PROUDLY CHEERING FOR ME RIGHT NOW. TO ALL OF YOU, I SHARE THE ACCOLADE. 

LET ME CLOSE BY EMPHASIZING ON THE MESSAGE OF SERVICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC OFFICE - LIKE THE PNP. THIS MESSAGE WAS ENUNCIATED BY OUR NEW PRESIDENT, HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO SIMEON C. AQUINO III AND HAS BEEN EMBRACED BY OUR PEOPLE, JUDGING FROM THE HIGH APPROVAL AND SUPPORT OF HIS INAUGURAL MESSAGE. IN PRESIDENT AQUINO’S SPEECH, HE SAID THAT THE PEOPLE ARE HIS “BOSS”, AN APPELLATION TO SUBJECTS OF SOVEREIGN, RARELY HEARD FROM LEADERS. THIS ATTRIBUTION OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE PEOPLE AS HIS BOSS IS NOT A DENIGRATION OF THE NATURE OF HIS OFFICE BUT AN UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE OF HIS ADMIRABLE OUTLOOK OF HOW HE WOULD LEAD AND SERVE OUR COUNTRY.

 IN THE POLICE ORGANIZATION, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE SAME MINDSET AND ATTITUDE FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE SWORN, “TO SERVE AND PROTECT”. WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THE LAW AMONG THE PEOPLE AND YET, TO BE RELEVANT AND RESPONSIVE, WE MUST ALWAYS BE MINDFUL THAT THE AUTHORITY ACTUALLY EMANATES FROM THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE. 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS ALL OF US AND OUR COUNTRY, AND MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT.