PNP Responders: Winning games and trust

The Philippine National Police has undergone a transformation in the past year, becoming more aggressive in the fight against illegal drugs. But they have also become more sensitive to public perception of its men in uniform, and have taken measures to address issues that have plagued the agency, among them vigorous house-cleaning and reorientation of its troops. One of the ways the PNP is also enhancing its image is through its basketball team, the PNP Responders, champions of the UNTV Cup last March.

Led by former University of the East Red Warrior and now policeman Olan Omiping, the Responders came back from a 0-1 finals series deficit to overcome the Malacañang Kamao in a thrilling series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Kamao included former University of Santo Tomas player Christian Luanzon and 2004 PBA draftee Eric dela Cuesta. The tournament has become so competitive that some former collegiate players have decided to let their younger counterparts play in their stead.

“This was originally just a gathering of executive officers here at Camp Crame, with the rank of Police Superintendent up to General,” explains Chief Superintendent Rene Aspera, chief of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management. “For the last decade, we have had members become generals, and we all enjoyed the camaraderie. So we kept on playing, and we’ve been playing against ex-PBA players. This has been our pastime, then we received an invitation for the UNTV Cup for our younger players.”

After winning the championship in the main tournament which included reinforcements, the Responders also chose to join the tournament purely for executives of government agencies, which include the likes of Sen. Joel Villanueva, who plays for the Senate squad. Both teams are coached by Eric Samson, former national coach of Vietnam and a scout for Thailand’s basketball federation. Samson also took the newly crowned champions to Thailand for a short tournament.

“They’re very cooperative and very disciplined, both teams are,” says Samson. “It’s fun to coach them. They really love the game, and everyone wants to get better, everyone wants to win.”

Each Wednesday, the executives play against former pros, like this week’s batch that included San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria, Alvin Teng, Sonny Cabatu, Bong dela Cruz and former Shell team manager Charlie Favis. The Responders built multiple double-digit leads, and the PBA legends kept coming back, even leading towards the end of the third quarter. But with better defense and strategy, PNP won this time around. The two teams have been playing each other every Wednesday for more than 10 years now.

“They have a goal, they’re determined, they’re organized,” says Austria. “That’s what will keep them going. As long as they are focused on that, they will keep on winning.”

“We have athletic days on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” adds Aspera, a former volleyball player and track athlete himself. “And after office hours, if we are not called by the PNP Chief, we are free to engage in our favorite sports like basketball, badminton, running at the oval, karate, judo, taekwondo and weight training. Of course, part of our mandate is to stay in shape to better serve the people. Personally, my doctor even told me that I am naturally athletic, so I really look for it. But at our age, we’re more careful.”

Competing in public is a new environment, even for senior police officers who are used to being in public. There are no less than six police generals and nine colonels on the executive team, including PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa, NCRPO Chief Oscar Albayalde, SAF Director for Operations Camilo Cascolan, Police Chief Superintendent Philipp Phillips and Police Chief Superintendent Clofton Empiso. But this time, they find themselves in a different arena, in a different kind of uniform.

“It’s a new environment, it’s bright, a lot of people are watching, we sometimes get conscious if we’re doing the right moves,” Aspera reveals with a smile. “But you realize that you can still do it, you can still compete. If others can do it, so can I. We also have good coaching and great teamwork.”

The discomfort is a small sacrifice to play the game they love, entertain the public, build rapport with their fellow public servants, and uplift the image of the PNP, making it more accessible to the people. After all, basketball has built many bridges between Filipinos, and our gallant police officers love the game as much as the next person.