Cops told: Stay apolitical, focus on public safety
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has reminded officers, including online content creators, to remain politically neutral and focus on safeguarding public welfare amid rising political tensions in the country.
“We have no business involving ourselves in politics. We do not have that privilege; that is not part of our mandate. Let us focus on what we are trained for and what the Filipino people expect us to do: Enforce the law and maintain peace and order,” Nartatez said in a news release over the weekend.
Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s directives, Nartatez urged PNP personnel to maintain professionalism by exercising discipline and restraint on social media and digital platforms.
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He said escalating political debates among lawmakers and online commentators have placed both police presence and perspective under intense scrutiny.
While respecting the airing of individual beliefs and opinions, Nartatez added police officers lack the liberty to voice them publicly because doing so drags the entire organization into these issues.
He also reminded the public to be both wary of and responsible for the information they come across on social media.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center earlier warned against the spread of misinformation, disinformation and unverified content that could mislead the public, intensify tensions, or contribute to the confusion during this period of heightened political conflicts.
