By Aaron Recuenco
The Philippine National Police (PNP) urged protesters to show respect to policemen securing rallies and public events, stressing that officers are only fulfilling their mandate to maintain peace and order.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. underscored that while the right to protest is recognized, it should not come at the expense of disrespecting law enforcers.
“Just like everybody, your police have a job to do, an order to comply with, and a mandate to perform. Any form of disrespect to our personnel on the ground is an attack to our uniform, to our badge, and to the PNP as an organization,” he said.
Nartatez stressed that police officers do not deserve to be assaulted or subjected to verbal abuse while performing their duties.
“We are not asking for too much, we are merely asking for respect in recognition of the sacrifices of our men on the ground,” he added.
His remarks came after an incident during a rally dispersal on July 22, where tensions flared between protesters and photojournalists.
Nartatez explained that police were under strict instructions to secure the venue due to the presence of foreign delegates, making it difficult to immediately distinguish protesters from other individuals in the crowd.
The PNP said it is open to investigations into the incident, even as it finalizes security measures for President Marcos’ upcoming State of the Nation Address, where more than 21,000 policemen will be deployed around the Batasang Pambansa.
