Lomibao urges cops to support PNP transformation program

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao urged all his men to help him give the police force a "personalized" touch.

Since his appointment to lead the 115,000-strong PNP last March, Lomibao has been pushing for its transformation as he admitted having received from citizens complaints of abuses by these men in uniform.

"We have to transform, but we have to convince our family… first our family that we are transforming within us, among ourselves and transformation would be easy," Lomibao said.

Lomibao, who visited The STAR office Monday night with members of his directorial staff, said he wanted to leave a legacy as the PNP chief who managed to change the tainted image of the national police into a more capable, effective and credible force.

During the transformation workshop at the PNP multi-purpose hall in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Lomibao said the PNP Integrated Transformation Program "is the best thing that ever happened" to the force.

In the program, the police chief noted that the PNP led by Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., chief of the directorial staff, will formulate and implement a national internal security policy and strategy, and will rationalize the overall institutionalized framework of the police system.

"The PNP also intends to improve the functional delineation and coordination between law enforcement agencies and that conventional police institutions remove institutional mechanisms that render the PNP to politicization and erode its unity of command," Lomibao said.

He also hopes to strengthen the National Police Commission as the rules and standards formulation body of the police system; and for the PNP to be able to put in a mechanism aimed at institutional continuity and stability particularly in police leadership, and firmly establish a self-administering and managing professional PNP.

Meanwhile, Lomibao noted that his only son, Arthur Chase has expressed his willingness to help the PNP in its transformation program.

"My son volunteered to be part of the PNP transformation program. He said he could speak in behalf of the ordinary citizens at the same time could he see how the PNP works to improve its image," the proud father said.

Lomibao pointed out his son, the youngest of his two children with his late wife Marcela, is one of the vocal critics of policemen and the PNP.

"Every day, about 99 percent of my son’s text messages to me is about the PNP and the apparent sloppiness and lousiness of some policemen," Lomibao revealed.