PNP launches own ‘May GLORIA’ program

BAGUIO CITY — It worked for President Arroyo. Will it work for the Philippine National Police (PNP)?

Taking a cue from the President’s "May Gloria ang Bukas Mo" (There’s Glory in Your Future) radio-TV program, the PNP has embarked on its own quest to cleanse its image and gain the acceptance and support of the public.

With the theme "May Gloria Din ang Bukas ng Pulis" (The Police Has a Glorious Future, Too), the PNP is looking at six key goals which it anchored on the acronym GLORIA.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said the GLORIA acronym stands for Graft-free, Leadership by example, One-stop mechanism, Results-oriented, Investor-friendly, and Accountability of the entire police organization.

"With GLORIA, we hope to instill love of God, respect for authority, selfless love and service to the people and honor and justice among our policemen," Mendoza said during the sixth National Press Congress at the Teacher’s Camp here yesterday.

Mendoza appealed to the media to help the PNP realize its goals, which he said can be achieved in the next three years. He specifically asked the members of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, organizers of the press congress, to meet with him and other police generals to discuss how the police and the media can have strategic alliances.

He noted that the PNP needs the media to know what ordinary people are thinking. In the same manner, he said, the PNP needs the media to make known to people what the police force is doing.

"We would be very grateful to know what’s on your mind," he told the media practitioners.

The 120,000-strong PNP has been besieged by accusations of corruption the past several years, with some of its top leaders even linked to various crimes such as illegal gambling and drug trafficking.

Mendoza, however, stressed that the real scourge of the PNP is mediocrity. "Mediocrity continues to be a real threat to everyone anywhere. We should always strive to be the best."