A feeling no money can buy

To serve and protect, that’s the motto of the Philippine National Police.

But for most cops, the motto is just a phrase or string of words.

I saw that for myself as my staff and I were unloading food items for the poor at the covered court of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in Camp Karingal.

Not one of the uniformed policemen assigned to the covered court gave a hand to my staff of “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” who were carrying big baskets of groceries, cooked food and sacks full of slippers for some of the city’s poor who were invited to a Christmas party on Saturday, Dec. 24.

To serve the poor who were the guests at the Christmas party?

Definitely not, judging from those cops’ unwillingness to help.

The uniformed cops just looked on as my staff and some of the guests unloaded the stuff from our two pickups and carried them to the stage of the covered court.

I shook my head in disgust and told Chief Supt. Guillermo “Guilor” Eleazar about my impression.

“Guilor, the police now are much different from the constables of long ago who didn’t have to be told to help civilians,” I said.

Constables were members of the defunct Philippine Constabulary, predecessor of the PNP.

Eleazar, QCPD chief, had just arrived at the covered court and so he didn’t see his men not giving us a helping hand.

I remarked that PC constables were always willing to help civilians, to which Eleazar agreed.

Eleazar and this columnist had cooked up the idea of gathering some 150 families who live in pushcarts or in the Payatas dump and giving them a Christmas treat.

Eleazar, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, had ordered his men to transport the poor families from their places to Camp Karingal’s covered court.

Except for that minor kink, the Christmas party for the poorest of the poor was a huge success.

The guests, mostly scavenger and their children, were treated to hot soup in medium-size bowls, bread and soft drinks.

They were each given slippers and handed bags of groceries by policemen who wore Santa Claus caps.

Blankets were also handed out.

They were served ice cream from the “dirty ice cream” cart and cotton candy from a cart that we hired for the occasion.

The guests had a grand time.

The sight of policemen wearing Santa Claus caps while handing out groceries in bags projected a picture of civilian-friendly cops.

For a moment, the guests, who mostly live in Payatas, where criminals and drug addicts abound, and the cops were on friendly ground.

Seeing the joy in the faces of the guests, Eleazar said: “Mon, it feels so good seeing the smiles on their faces. No amount of money can buy this feeling.”

The Christmas party at Camp Karingal was replicated in another party for squatter families on Dec. 23, also in the same camp.

Another party was held at the Luneta police station in Manila, where my staff and I distributed groceries, handed out slippers and served breakfast to homeless persons.

I’d like to thank the following persons and entities who contributed to Isumbong mo kay Tulfo’s gift-giving project this Christmas:

Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Baby” Pineda, Mayor Sandy Javier of Javier, Leyte; SM Foundation, SM Hypermart, Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., Cora Ong of CDO Food Corp., Simon Paz, Lepeng Wee, Lucio Co of Puregold, Sammy Po of Marco Polo-Ortigas, Freddie Matta, Freddie Lao and Leah Cruz.

The excess goods are being kept at my warehouse in Mandaluyong City for victims of natural calamities.