Cops required to wear uniforms during operations

In view of possible misencounters among police operatives during legitimate operations, the Western Police District (WPD) has strictly required its personnel to wear the prescribed police uniforms.

In a memorandum to 11 police station commanders and chiefs of all support units and directorial staff, WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong said that "gross violation of this directive affects not only the image of the police unit but also borders on misidentification which might eventually lead to a misencounter."

WPD’s District Operations and Plans Division commander Chief Inspector Florencio Ortilla, who prepared the memorandum, cited as example the police operations in Taytay, Rizal last June 11 where police personnel were not wearing the authorized uniform of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Ortilla said that during the incident some of the police operatives were fully armed but wearing civilian clothes without any police markings. There were those who were also seen wearing short pants, headbands and bandannas, making it hard for onlookers to distinguish the police from the suspects.

Ortilla said that police operatives are also no longer allowed to wear the black T-shirt with police markings except personnel assigned at the District Special Reaction Unit (DSRU).