MANILA, Philippines -- A protective brother and a disciplining father. These should be the images of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the public, Interior and Local Government secretary Ronaldo Puno said on Monday.

“While some surveys will tell you that half of our population now trust the policeman, only half of the country still view the men and women of the PNP with fear and distrust. They would rather keep quiet in the face of crime than report incidents to their police station because of fear that they will get themselves into more trouble. They still believe that more policemen would want to extort money from them rather than help them,” Puno said, speaking before lawmen during the inauguration of 664 police vehicles at Camp Crame.

Puno said that instead of inciting fear among people, police presence should be “reassuring.”

“We must bring a sense of safety, not fear, wherever we go. Police must be helpful and approachable, not intimidating. You must be protectors of peace, not bullies. You must be alert and ready to serve at all times, ready to sacrifice your personal safety for the safety of others,” he added.

Puno commended policemen who continued to uphold their duty, but also criticized those who extorted money from people and who committed illegal activities.

The national police, he said, should be leaders and good examples of democracy instead of human rights violators.

“The days of martial law are long gone. We are now in the age of a vibrant democracy where peaceful dialogue and full respect for the rights of others are the guides we must all live by. As an organization, the PNP must lead the national effort to make our democratic ideals become part and parcel of everyday life,” Puno said.

He particularly cited the PNP’s integrated transformation program (ITP) “in our effort to win back the trust and confidence of our people.”

The ITP is an ongoing program of the PNP that “aims to implement the Constitutional mandate of bringing the PNP to being a truly civilian organization. It hopes to make each and everyone a full member of the community that you serve. It is determined to make every policeman reassure all around him that he is a member of their family,” Puno said.