Ilocos Region pastors helping in PNP internal cleansing

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Some 300 Christian church pastors and elders have volunteered to work with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the revitalized internal cleansing among its ranks through the Bless our Cops (BOC) project of the Christian Officers Reform of the Police Service (CORPS) Movement.

Pastor Roland Santiago, BOC coordinator in Region 1 (Ilocos), in an interview Monday, said the BOC and the My Brother's Keepers (MBK) projects have been ongoing programs of the CORPS movement since its inception in 1994 but its activities were dependent on the support and cooperation of the chiefs of police.

"Since the PNP launched its revitalized internal cleansing, the BOC was adopted to be part of its preventive side. We used to be on the moral recovery and values formation but now we focus on the spiritual and values of the policemen," Santiago said.

The BOC in Region 1 is now called the Spiritual Enhancement and Ethical Development (SEED) program.

Since the BOC was reactivated regionwide, Santiago said many Christian pastors and elders have volunteered.

"We have minimum of two coordinators in every station and several life coaches, who will be handling seven to 10 policemen per squad (group). We will conduct regular Bible studies and counselling. Bible studies should be translated into the core values of PNP. We have the goal to achieve a highly effective and credible police service by 2030," he said.

Brig. General Hermanio Tadeo of the PNP Regional Office (PRO) 1, in a recent interview, said the pastors and elders volunteered without any compensation, because of their love for the PNP and the belief that there is hope to transform erring policemen into better police officers.

"They are there to pray for the police, guide them in spiritual enhancement and development. The pastors and elders are accountable to God for the policemen while the policemen are accountable to the people if they don't change their negative ways. The pastors and elders accepted this challenge. Change should start within us and if we have God in our heart, nothing is impossible," Tadeo said.

"On our own we cannot do it, but with God within us, guiding us, all of these can be overcome. So, even if it is really hard to transform the PNP, with God we can do it," Santiago added.

Meanwhile, acting Pangasinan police provincial director, Col. Wilson Lopez, said the program is a welcome development.

"Aside from the PNP's internal cleansing activity, we will have other people or group, so there will be check and balance," he said.

The CORPS Movement was established in 1994 by Chief Inspectors Cesar Binag, Lyndon Cubos, Ma. O Aplasca and Benigno Durana, who later met Christian missionary Pastor Bernabe "Boi" Manuel Jr. from Cadence International who helped them formalize the organization.

"BOC and MBK are the group's two major projects, with their battle cry "God in Every Cop" and the mission to "help build a God-centered, Service-Oriented and Family-Based PNP," said Manuel in a recent interview. (PNA)