On 1 April 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., appointed Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil the new chief of the Philippine National Police commanding him to “give the finest service to our beloved citizens.” But what happened?

Four months later, are we seeing the fruits of President Marcos order?

Before we proceed, in case you might ask, I haven’t been to his highly cordoned off office nor seen the gentleman, then and now. I know only of who he is, what he is and what he does based on information culled from news reports, broadcast and written, on which my eyes are focused.

Because, as a concerned citizen and journo, I have a responsibility to vet government officials, not only the Chief PNP but everyone entrusted with leadership, power and influence. I don’t wanna be left behind in the noodle house, so to speak, passive and not doing anything.

There is a cordon sanitaire around him, I would think, and our DAILY TRIBUNE readers and the Juan and Juana de la Cruzes in the country won’t be able to see Marbil or shake his hand. But the news stories, sprouting like mushrooms, on crimes petty and horrible involving the police will give us an idea as to who he is and whether he is up to his oath and the President’s order to “let us now ensure that the PNP will be agents of progressive transformation in the lives of our people by ensuring the safety and well-being of every community in the land.”

Aside from the instruction of the Commander-in-Chief, we Filipinos know full well what the motto of the police force is. I refer to the signs on police stations with the words, “to serve and protect.” This has no other meaning than to ensure that we are protected from harm and live in peace.

Unless the three magic words are meant only to serve and protect the “honorable” members of Congress, meaning the 231 solons and 24 senators. Kindly educate us, P/G Marbil and all your adjutants and subordinates, as to what the words really mean.

First of all, there appears to be no sense to the words given how the Chief PNP and other officers behave on the road. Whenever they move from one place to another, they have an army of motorcycle and mobile escorts who blow away the ordinary motorists from their lanes like garbage, which only shows that the high-ranking police officials are lords, not servants who “serve and protect.”

Ironically, they’re paid with tax money. Of course, before we miss it, it’s public knowledge the Chief PNP, Regional Directors and Police Directors make more from the monthly payola from jueteng-cum-STL lords and from other illegal gambling activities operating everywhere. Ask “Bangus” of Quezon province.

Mind you, my DAILY TRIBUNE readers, when DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos assumed his post, he ordered police officials to “submit courtesy resignations to internally cleanse” the force. Some officers after PBBM assumed office in 2022 were dismissed from the service. Good, but in this time two beauty pageant personalities were murdered involving police officers, among a lot more cases.

Crimes involving policemen are in the news frequently, making the line “to serve and protect” a big joke. Recently, Marbil exposed the Vice President and other elected officials to risk by removing their security details forcing volunteers and retired generals to offer to fill the void.

Given the horrendous peace and order situation, though, I don’t wanna say yet that General Marbil as Chief PNP is doing a disservice to the President. Frankly, “to serve and protect” is a mere slogan that doesn’t make sense unless the Chief PNP proves otherwise.

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