The Philippine National Police has commended a Tabuk City police officer for showing compassion toward a single father who was caught stealing a box of milk for his infant child in Kalinga last week.

Police reports said the man was apprehended after attempting to leave a supermarket in Barangay Bulanao without paying for a 1.7-kilogram box of baby formula. During questioning, he explained that he had lost his job after a construction project ended and had been struggling to feed his baby since his wife left them. He tried to take the milk to feed his child “out of desperation.”

Upon learning of the man’s situation, Tabuk City Police Chief Lt. Col. Jack Angog decided to pay for the milk himself, sparing the father from detention and giving him another chance to rebuild his life.

Angog said he could relate to the man’s plight as a father, emphasizing that compassion can coexist with duty.

Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. praised Angog for his “act of compassion while still upholding the law,” saying it reflects the “human side of policing.”

“We do not condone wrongdoing, but we understand that sometimes, crimes stem from hunger or hardship,” Nartatez said. “The law must always be applied, but we must also consider the human condition behind every case.”

He added that not every case should end in jail and urged police officers to strike a balance between firmness and empathy.

Nartatez also directed police units nationwide to coordinate with social welfare offices and local governments to extend aid to individuals driven to commit minor offenses out of poverty or desperation.

“Sometimes, what people need is help, not punishment,” he said.

The PNP chief reiterated that compassion and discipline should go hand in hand in promoting a brand of policing that serves both justice and humanity.

Meanwhile, Tabuk City Mayor Darwin Estrañero also commended Angog for his act of compassion and integrity in service.

“Sometimes, justice is not only found in punishment but also in compassion. It takes courage to uphold the law, but it takes a bigger heart to understand the story behind it,” Estrañero wrote in his Facebook post as he praised the police chief’s humane approach in handling the case.

“Kudos, Lt. Col. Jack Agog! You embody the empathy and goodness every police officer should aspire to have.” (“Kudos, Lt. Col. Jack Agog! You embody the empathy and goodness every police officer should aspire to have.”)