Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday he had ordered the Philippine National Police to issue a circular to ensure that policemen were banned from drinking in bars, nightclubs, and public places.
He made the statement following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to that effect.
“The President himself said it is prohibited for the police to drink inside bars, pubs and on the street, and to charge violators immediately,” Año said in a news release.
He said he expected the PNP’s senior officials to lead by example so that their men would follow suit.
He said Duterte was right when he said people lose their trust in policemen and in the entire PNP as an organization when they see drunken policemen in public.
During the Interior department’s Barangay Summit on Peace and Order in the National Capital Region on Jan. 8, 2019, Duterte ordered all law enforcers to refrain from drinking in public places because they tended to get into trouble.
“It’s embarrassing and an eyesore when police officers are seen drinking in public,” Año said. “The job of the police requires the respect of the people. Therefore, they must do what it takes to gain and maintain the public trust.”