CEBU CITY – The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) welcomed the directive of the newly installed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that prohibits police officers from unnecessary use of cell phones while on duty.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the directive of Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil is to ensure that on-duty policemen will focus on their job.
“The rationale of this instruction is not difficult to understand. If a policeman is deployed on the ground, if he is on the streets, he should be active, alert, and ready to respond to any eventuality and he should have his mind focused on the job. So this is the instruction of the chief PNP,” Pelare said.
Police officers who are focused on their job will allow the public to really feel the presence of the police, said Pelare.
The prohibition of unnecessary use of smartphones while on-duty has been strictly enforced in the Central Visayas, Pelare said.
In fact, there was a policeman assigned at PRO-7 who was relieved from his post after he was caught tinkering with his cell phone while on duty, Pelare disclosed.
Marbil has also reminded that every police station must be open 24 hours a day and is ready to serve the public.
Pelare said that the PRO-7 has yet to receive a complaint against some police stations that have been closed in certain times of the day.
“Closing a police station, that’s an offense by itself. Another offense is if there are people who go to the police station for help and are not attended by those who are on duty. So, we urge our police officers to just go back to basics. Let us just do our jobs as we have been told to,” said Pelare. (Calvin Cordova / MB)
