MANILA, Philippines – Police officers and officials are now barred from playing golf on weekdays since it may interfere with their duties and responsibilities.
Philippine National Police (PNP) declared on Wednesday that it will ban playing golf of police officers during weekdays as it may interfere with their public service.
“I am now declaring that there will be no more golf during weekdays. Nobody is exempted. Starting from the OIC down to the lowest rank in the Philippine National Police,” PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa told reporters Wednesday morning after the National Capital Region Police Office turnover ceremony in Taguig City.
In a text message to INQUIRER.net, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the ban takes effect on weekdays even if the policeman is off duty.
“Absolutely no golf ban exemption for weekdays. That’s with or without duty. No one is allowed to play golf,” he said.
NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said playing golf is time-consuming and may affect their work.
“Personally I play golf. Ang golf it takes time yung paglaro. Ang paglaro diyan is four hours (Golf takes time to play, It usually takes four hours),” Sinas said.
“Mapagod pa yan, anong oras yan magrereport? [The police officer will be tired, what time will he be able to report for work?],” he added.
Sinas noted that playing golf alone is very expensive from the entrance fee to equipment.
Sinas said he does not want police officers to focus on playing golf and become escorts for businessmen and prominent individuals in the golf course.
“I don’t want the police na nagfofocus dun. I will not tolerate it. Ang effect is ang mga tao hindi magescort escort ng sino sinong businessman na naglaro ng golf ( I don’t want police officers to focus on playing golf. I will not tolerate it. The effect is police officers will not escort businessmen who are also playing golf).” he said.
Sinas said the weekday golf ban was already in effect when he was director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas.
He added that the order was already existing in the PNP Headquarters but was just “forgotten.”
“It started in Camp Crame, I just implemented it. It was announced so many times that policemen should not play golf but it was forgotten. But I, from the very start to the end, I implemented it,” Sinas said in English and Filipino./gsg