President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the police officers on Thursday that they should be a part of the society they are supposed to serve.

During the Joint National Peace and Order Council and Regional Peace and Order Council in Malacañang, Marcos said that police could only be credible if they established trust with the public.

“I think it is a very important lesson that despite all of the other things until satellite, until cyber, of course, we use it all. But in the end, you need to be part of the community,” Marcos said. “The only time (we are) truly effective is when the community trusts our policemen.”

He also told the cops to know the people on the ground, to be on the beat, and to be aware of the events around them.

The police need to be present on the ground in addition to all the modern tools available for preventing drug abuse and halting the ongoing drug distribution, he said.

“And then we already have credibility with the people. They trust you, they know you, they know what you like to eat — your favorite is lechon — just like that, they already know you. You’re a person now, not a police officer, you’re a person,” Marcos said.

“That’s ...I think is a very important lesson that despite all of the other things up to satellites, up to cyber --- of course, we use all of that, but the crux still is you really need to be part of the community. And that’s the only time [we are] truly effective is when the community trusts our policemen,” he added.

During the inaugural session of the Joint National Peace and Order Council and Regional Peace and Order Council at Malacañang, Marcos and other officials discussed geopolitical tensions, disputes over the West Philippine Sea and other territorial conflicts, communist terrorist groups, and the ongoing drug war.

The National Security Council has noted that extended conflicts and global challenges gravely affect the nation. They impact the safety of Filipinos abroad, lead to global oil shortages and higher commodity prices, and affect the country’s economic growth objectives.