INTRODUCTION

TO

Ethics

How should you live?

Shall you aim at happiness or knowledge, virtue, or the creation
of beautiful objects?
If you choose happiness, will it be your own or the happiness of all? And what
of the more particular questions that face you: is it right to be dishonest in a good
cause? Are you justified to kill a criminal in the guise of protecting the innocent? Is it
correct to steal from the rich and give it to the poor?
Can you justify living in luxury while elsewhere in the world people
are starving? Is going to war justified in cases where it is likely
that innocent people will be killed? Is it right to give a passing
grade to a student because he is graduating and the parents
approached the teacher?

Ethics deals with such questions at all levels. Its subject consists of the
fundamental issues of practical decision making, and its major concerns
include the nature of ultimate value and the standards by which human actions
can be judged right or wrong. In the law enforcement profession, ethics serve
as a guide on how to decide on a particular situation and condition if the law is
silent on the matter.

What is Ethics?

- Ethics also called morality, or moral philosophy is the discipline that

is concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong. The
term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles.
It is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe
what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits
to society, fairness, or specific virtues.

- Moral Integrity - is the only true measure of what man ought to be. The
most successful professional, is nothing unless he too is morally upright.
Thus, the philosophers speak of Ethics as the “only necessary
knowledge”.

- Ethics is a branch of philosophy which studies the principles of right

or wrong in human conduct. It comes from the Latin word “ethos”
 means customary, behavior, moral. The two words Latin – ethics and
Greek ethikos have the same meaning which is customary.

- Ethics outlines theories of right or wrong, morality translate

these theories into action. Therefore, morality is nothing else but
it is a doing of ethics.

Morality is the foundation of every human society. Without civic morality,

communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.
Every culture admits the importance of morality as a standard of behavior.
When the moral foundations of a nation are threatened, society itself is
threatened.

ETHICS LAW

Study of human motivation.

Concerned with what we do, not what we
feel.
Study of external actions. It explores Concerned with the externality of the act.
thoughts and feelings.

Requires that we perform the required

Requires that man desires that of which is action regardless of
good and act in accordance with that
desire.

 Ethics is a personal commitment to uphold what is true and good.

Ethics aims to develop “right disposition and inner spirit” for
accepting what is lawful.

Ethics and Values

- Ethics is the capacity to determine right conduct and the knowledge of

what is right from wrong.
- Values, on the other hand, are the application of ethics. It must be
stressed that these two concepts should always be together, for an
expert in ethics might not be necessarily a values-oriented person, and
vice-versa. It’s one thing to know what’s good or bad, and another thing
to apply what you know.
 The Origins of Ethics

When did ethics begin and how did it originate? If one has in mind ethics proper
– i.e., the systematic study of what is morally right and wrong – it is clear that
ethics could have come into existence only when human beings started to
reflect on the best way to live. This reflective stage emerged long after human
societies had developed some morality, usually in the form of customary
standards of right and wrong conduct. The process of reflection tended to arise
from such customs, even if in the end it may have found them wanting.
Accordingly, ethics began with the introduction of the first moral codes.
Virtually every human society has some form of myth to explain the origin of
morality. In the Louvre in Paris, there is a black Babylonian column with a relief
showing the sun god Shamash presenting the code of laws to Hammurabi,
known as the Code of Hammurabi.
The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) account of God’s giving the Ten
Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai might be considered another
example. In the dialogue Protagoras by Plato, there is an avowedly mythical
account of how Zeus took pity on the hapless humans, who were physically no
match for the other beasts. To make up for these deficiencies, Zeus gave
humans a moral sense and the capacity for law and justice, so that they could
live in larger communities and cooperate.
There is some difficulty, already known to Plato, with the view that morality
was created by divine power. In this dialogue Euthyphro, Plato considered the
suggestion that it is divine approval that makes an action right. Plato pointed
out that, if this were the case, one could not say that the gods approve of such
actions because they are right. Why then do they approve of them? Is their
approval entirely arbitrary? Plato considered this impossible and so held that
there must be some standards of right or wrong that are independent of the
likes and dislikes of the gods. Modern philosophers have generally accepted
Plato’s argument because the alternative implies that if, for example, the Gods
had happened to approve of torturing children and to disapprove of helping
one’s neighbors, then the torture would have been good and neighborliness
bad.
That morality should be invested with all the mystery and power of divine origin
is not surprising. Nothing else could provide such strong reasons for accepting
the moral law. By attributing a divine origin to morality, the priesthood became
its interpreter and guardian and thereby secured for itself a power that it would
not readily relinquish. This link between morality and religion has been so firmly
forged that it is still sometimes asserted that there could be no morality without
religion. According to this view, ethics is not an independent field of study but
rather a branch of theology.
The terms ethics and morality are closely related. It is now common to refer to
ethical judgements or to ethical principles where it once would have been more
 accurate to speak of moral judgments or moral principles. These applications
are an extension of the meaning of ethics. In earlier usage, the term referred
not to morality itself but the field of study, or branch of inquiry that has morality
as its subject matter. In this sense, ethics is equivalent to moral philosophy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

 Make society better  Treat everyone equally  Secure meaningful

employment  Succeed at business  Lessen Stress

HUMAN ACTS ACTS OF MAN

Actions performed by man, knowingly Actions which happen in man
and freely

Deliberate or intentional actions, or, Instinctive and are not within the control of
voluntary the will

Actions are the result of conscious Biological and physiological movements in

knowledge and are subject to the man such as, metabolism, respiration,
control of the will. fear, anger, love, and jealousy.

 Morality is the quality of human acts by which they are constituted as

good, bad, or, indifferent.

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF HUMAN ACTS

1. it must be performed by a conscious agent who is aware of what he is

doing and of its consequences.

2. It must be performed by an agent who is acting freely, that is, by his own
volition and powers. An action done under duress and against one’s will
is not entirely a free action.
 3. It must be performed by an agent who decides willfully to perform the
act. This willfulness is the result to perform an act here and now, or in
some future time.

KINDS OF HUMAN ACTS

1. Elicited Acts - are those performed by the will and are not bodily
externalized.

a. Wish is the tendency of will toward something, whether this be

realized or not.

b. Intention is the tendency of the will towards something attainable

but without necessarily committing oneself to attain it.

c. Consent is the acceptance of the will of those needed to carry out

the intention.
d. Election is the selection of the will of those effective enough to carry
out the intention.
e. Use is the command of the will to make use of those means elected
to carry out the intention
f. Fruition is the enjoyment of the will derived from the attainment of
the thing he had desired earlier.

2. Command Acts – are those done either by man’s mental or bodily

powers under the command of the will.

a. Internal actions
Examples: conscious reasoning, recalling something,
encouraging oneself, and controlling aroused emotions.
b. External actions
Examples: walking, eating, dancing, laughing, listening, and
reading.
c. Combinations of internal and external movements
Examples: studying, driving a car, writing a letter, and playing
chess.

THE MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

1. Ignorance – absence of knowledge which a person ought to possess.

Classification of Ignorance

a. Vincible ignorance can easily be reminded through ordinary

diligence and reasonable efforts

b. Invincible ignorance is the type which a person possesses

without being aware of it, or, having awareness of it, or, having
awareness of it, lacks the means to rectify it.

“Ignorance of the law excuses no one” – implies that no one should

not act in the state of ignorance and that no one who has done wrong
may not claim ignorance as a defense.

2. Passions – either tendencies towards desirable objects, or tendencies

away from undesirable or harmful things.

Classification of Passions

a. Positive emotions – love, desire, delight, hope, and bravery

b. Negative emotions – hatred, horror, sadness, despair, fear, and

anger

Passions are psychic responses. As such, they are neither moral

or immoral, however, man is bound to regulate his emotions and
submit them to the control of reason.

3. Fear – disturbance of the mind of a person who is confronted by an

impending danger or harm to himself or loved ones.

Fear is an instinct for self-preservation. We even fear new

experiences or situations such as, embarking on a long journey, being
left alone in a strange place, or being asked to speak before a group of
people.

4. Violence – refers to any physical force exerted on a person by another

free agent for the purpose of compelling said person to act against his
will.

Bodily torture, maltreatment, isolation, and mutilation are examples

of violence against person.
 5. Habits – is a lasting readiness and facility, born of frequently repeatedly
acts, for acting in a certain manner. They are acquired inclinations
towards something to be done. They assume the role of a second
nature, moving one who has them to perform certain acts with relative
ease.

The word “habit-forming” that we use to refer to certain

experience shows how easy it is for one to acquire a habit. Is also
implies that a habit is not easy to overcome or alter. It requires a
strong-willed person to correct a habit successfully within a
limited period of time.

Action and Emotion

Man does an act with emotion and feeling not like a robot. In doing this act,
man does not only evoke certain sentiments, but his decision or intention to
perform is swayed by his emotion.

Emotions are generally instinctive in origin. Neither the degree of their

intensify, clarity, or awareness makes them human acts to be judged as good
or evil. It means simply that man’s thoughts and actions are colored by his
emotions.

Moral perfection comes from within. We, Filipinos, refer to it as “Kagandahan

ng loob”. It is “loob” because from within the human personality.

Kagandahan ng Loob
Kagandahan ng Loob refers to attitude and it stands for all that is good, we
call kaibigan, in a human being. It is the multiplicity of sterling qualities, both
natural and acquired, which, because they proceed from the hearts and minds
and it also greatly influenced one’s behavior towards himself and others.

Kagandahan ng Loob includes such moral values as mapagmahal, may

pakiramdam, may pakikiramay, matulungin, masayahin, and hindi mapagkunwari.

Rights and Duties

Man is born with rights and duties and having rights is an attribute of a person.
That is why we have Commission on Human Rights that addresses violations
of such rights.
 We insist on our rights but ignore our duties. Duties however are more
fundamental than rights.

The duty to do good and to avoid evil is above all rights.

Definition of Right

Objectively – It is anything which is owed or due.

Subjectively – that is, as residing in a person, right is a moral power,

bound to be respected by others, of doing, possessing, or requiring
something.

Kinds of Rights

1. Natural Rights are those based on the natural law, that is, on human
nature.

2. Human Rights are those based on human positive laws either those
enacted by the State or a religious sect.

a. Civil rights are those dependent upon the laws of the state

b. Ecclesiastical or religious rights are those dependent upon the

laws of a church or a religious sect.

3. Alienable and inalienable Rights. Alienable rights are those, civil or

religious rights, which can be surrendered, renounced, or removed,
such as the right to decent livelihood.

4. Right of jurisdiction is the power of lawful authority to govern his

subjects and to make laws for them.

5. Right of property is the power to own, to sell, to barter, to lend, to

change, or give away one’s personal possessions.

6. Juridical right refers to all rights insofar as they are based on laws.
These rights must be respected, allowed, fulfilled, as a matter of strict
justice. Non-Juridical rights are those which are founded on laws,
either natural or human, but on virtue. Thus, these are also called
moral rights.

Definition of Duty
 Objectively – it is anything we are obliged to do or to omit.

Subjectively – it is a moral obligation incumbent upon a person of doing,

omitting, or avoiding something.

Duty is a moral obligation because it depends upon freewill. As such it

resides on a person. Duty is defined by law, any willful neglect duty makes the
person accountable for such act.

Kinds of Duties

1. Natural Duties are those imposed by natural law such as, the duty
to care for our health.
2. Positive Duties are those imposed by a human positive law such as
the duty to pay taxes and to observe traffic.
3. Affirmative Duties are those which require the performance of a
certain act, such as casting a ballot during election; applying for a
business license.
4. Negative Duties are those which require the omission of a certain
act such as not carrying illegal firearms, or not destroying the
property of other.

MORAL DISTINCTIONS

“Dictates of Reasons” stands for the norm of morality which is the standard
by which actions are judged as to their merits or demerits.

Classification of Actions According to the Norms of Morality

1. Moral (Good) actions are those actions which are in conformity with the
norm of morality.

2. Immoral (Bad) actions are those which are not in conformity with the
norm or morality.

3. Amoral (Indifferent) – actions are those actions which stand neutral in

relation to the norm of morality. They are neither good or bad in
themselves. But certain amoral actions may become good or bad
because of the circumstances attendant to them.
 Voluntariness

Voluntariness comes from the Latin word “voluntas”, referring to the Will.
Voluntariness is essential to an act. Without it, an act is a mere act of man.

Classifications of Voluntariness

1. Perfect voluntariness is a present in a person who fully knows and fully

intends an act.

2. Imperfect voluntariness is present in a person who act without fully

realizing what he means to do, or without fully intending the act.

3. Conditional voluntariness is present in a person who is forced by

circumstances beyond his control to perform an act which he would not
do under normal conditions.

4. Simple voluntariness is present in a person doing an act willfully,

regardless of whether he likes to do it or not. It is either positive or
negative.

Types of voluntariness

1. Direct voluntariness accompanies an act which is primarily intended by

the doer, either as an end in itself or as a means to achieve something.

2. Indirect voluntariness accompanies an act or situation which is the

mere result of a directly willed act.

ETHICS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

The police are essential to democracy. By ensuring that no person is

above the law, the police protect citizens from victimization. Through the
enforcement of the law, police ensure that no individual or group violently
assert its will over public order.
ETHICAL ROLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

The ethical role is performed by being objective and ethical in personal

behavior and in functioning as a representative of the criminal justice
system. The police officers are representatives of the criminal justice
system even when not in the performance of their duties. Therefore, they
must observe the following;

 To act in a manner that reflects the belief in the fundamental value

of ethical behavior and application of this value to their job.
 To conduct daily activities in an objective manner striving to e
uninfluenced by emotion, personal prejudice, or insufficient
evidence.
 To provide objective and constructive assistance or information to all
persons, regardless of personal feelings.
 To assist the public to understand how they can help in achieving
objective and ethical behavior.

As Employees in Law Enforcement Agencies

There are several reasons why people employed in law enforcement

are required to be moral and to have sound moral. Ironically, morals can
at times be a hard sell to law enforcement officers, who, when dealing
with exigent situations in which they are concerned not only for their
safety but for the safety of all citizens, consider that the manner or
means of how safety is achieved is not as important as the result of
achieving the safety. In other words, officers who are dealing with their
safety as well as the safety of others may consider the notion of
philosophizing about the right thing to do as not being overly important.
However, law enforcement careers come with the several duties and
responsibilities for which moral behavior is mandatory. The primary
ones include discretion, power, and public service.

Discretion – in Law Enforcement is necessary to efficiently

manage call loads and to mediate minor incidents.

Power – Because law enforcement officers exercise much

discretion, they also wield great power. They have the power
to arrest, detain, search, seize, and question.
Public Service – The state employs law enforcement officers to
carry out the state’s mandate: enforcing the law and keeping the
peace.
 MAJOR ETHICAL SYSTEMS

When learning how to resolve ethical dilemmas, it is important to be able to

articulate a justifiable rationale for why you believe one decision seem right
and another seems wrong. Having a basic understanding of the major ethical
theories will help you toward an ethical resolution learning how to articulate
and justify the decision.

CATEGORIES OF ETHICAL THEORIES

1. Normative Theory
Describe not only what ought to be done, but also why things
should be done that in some instances may appear
counterintuitive to what is considered as an ethical decision
would be. Such a theory is often called an ethical system
because it provides a system that allows people to determine
ethical actions that individuals should take.

2. Meta-ethics Theory
This theory does not address how a person should behave;
rather, metaethics is related more to the study of the ethical
theory itself. Here the interest is in evaluating moral and ethical
theories and systems.

3. Applied Ethics Theory

It describes the application of normative theories to specific
issues, usually related to work or belonging to an organization;
for example, policies and procedures of organizations or ethical
codes of mafia versus ethical of police officers.

Types of Normative Ethical Theory

With the overview of the three categories of ethical theories, the Normative
Ethical Theory will be further analyzed.
1. Utilitarian Ethics
Is a normative ethical system that is primarily concerned with the
consequences of ethical decisions; therefore, it can be described
as a teleological theory or consequentialist theory, which are
essential the same thing, both having a notion that the
consequence of the act is the most important determinant of the
act being moral or not.

Importance of Utilitarian Theory in Law Enforcement Moral

Dilemmas

Law enforcement officers possess a great deal of discretion that

must be exercised by all officers of every rank, regardless of their
experience. When exercising this discretion, officers will be
confronted daily with issues that are complex, and may not be
covered in the agency’s policy and most certainly would not have
been covered in the agency’s policy and most certainly would not
have been covered in their formal education or police academy
or other training.

2. Deontology
Probably the most complex of all the ethical systems.
The word deontology comes from the Greek word deon,
meaning
(Obligation) or (Duty). It is an ethical system primarily concerned
with one’s duty.

Importance of Deontological Theory in Law Enforcement Moral

Dilemmas

Law enforcement officers are required at times to fulfill their duty

no matter what the personnel costs. When confronted with a duty
that they may not want to perform, the officers should consider
that they agreed to perform duties when they swore their oath.

3. Virtue Ethics
Has its historical background in ancient Greece and was primarily
developed by Aristotle. For law enforcement, the major
foundation in virtue ethics is the idea that if you are a good person
you will do good things, and to be good, you must do well.
Therefore, the good act is an automatic response requiring little
thought. However, when faced with complex ethical dilemmas,
the person who has demonstrated a life of good character will
show good character, using temperance and intellect.

Importance of Virtue Ethics Assist in Law Enforcement Moral

Dilemmas
 Law enforcement agencies place a great emphasis on the good
behavior of their officers. One way to ensure a strong likelihood
of good behavior is to hire those who have a moral character that
reflects the values of the organization. In clearly identifying these
characteristics agencies are likely to attract those who also
identify with these characteristics.

1. Virtue ethics, at its core, is also simplistic, having two tenets

that are important for law enforcement. There is no need to
measure consequences or the morality of the action. Simply,
the task is to be good and do good acts. If officers are good,
they will act in a virtuous manner.
2. There is a need to practice virtue. By practicing being
virtuous, you will become virtuous in difficult situations
automatically. Given this view, it is critical for law enforcement
agencies to ensure that applicants wanting to join the agency
have practiced being virtuous to the point where it
has become a habit. Applicants who have practiced the
virtues listed above will be officers who demonstrate those
virtues by habit.

4. Ethics of Care
Also known as feminist ethics, ethics of care is primarily concerned with caring
for others. This has evolved from the need to care for those who cannot care
for themselves, such as infants. It is a system that assists your relations with
other people and thereby strengthens how you positively interact with people.
Importance of Ethics of Care Theory in Law Enforcement Moral
Dilemmas
Building rapport with members of the community is an important
aspect of community policing. This enables officers to identify
issue and to deal with them with compassion. For example, an
officer who builds rapport with tricycle drivers may become aware
of people who are involved in illegal drugs. It is with compassion
that the officer will be pushed to action to resolve this issue. Or
an officer who is called to a convenience store to arrest a mentally
ill street person who is stealing food may, instead of arresting the
suspect, find an alternative route, such as connecting the person
with a social service agency, or arranging for a social worker to
help the person find a home.
Law enforcement officers should attempt, where possible, to
address such issues with compassion and respect for all parties
involved.

5. Egoism
Unlike other theories that prescribe how you ought to behave egoism is a
descriptive principle that does not tell you necessarily how you ought to
behave, but rather why you behave the way you do. It infers that the person
who acts in an egotistical manner does so because it is natural to act in this
way, and therefore it is a moral action unto itself.

Importance of Egoism in Law Enforcement in Moral Dilemmas

Egoism does not suggest that police officers should act in their self-interest;
certainly, this would not be appropriate for law enforcement personnel. Where
egoism may help is to better understand why people do things that may appear
selfish. This may help them develop empathy for the suspects that appear to
be selfish and allow them to better understand that their actions are driven
egoism.

6. Religion or Divine Command Theory

Religion is often considered the most widely used system to make ethical
decisions and to conduct moral reasoning. Throughout the world, people rely
on a variety of religions to help them determine the most ethical action to take.
While divine command theory is widely used throughout the world, there are
differences: the application of the theory may differ within each religion.

Importance of Divine Command Theory in Law Enforcement Moral

Dilemmas
Generally, for officers who believe in God, a source of comfort
may be present when facing death or other traumatic events that
non-believers may not experience. Officers dealing with death
may find comfort in the belief that those who die may be in a
better place that their soul is eternal and that death may mean
that the soul goes to heaven. Believing that death is not the end,
but a new beginning may help officers who practice religion deal
with pain and suffering.

7. Natural Law
Natural law was espoused by Saint Thomas Aquinas, who viewed the world
as being created by God and understood that humans are rational beings
capable of using their intellect to comprehend the world. By extension, God
enabled humans to reason naturally to make ethical choices. Aquinas viewed
the first principle of natural law as: “good is to be done and promoted, and evil
is to be avoided.” Simply put, natural law asserts that what is good is natural,
and what is natural good.
Importance of Natural Law in Law Enforcement in Moral Dilemmas
Natural law can reaffirm in officers the importance of their job,
that being to preserve their own life and the human species.
Officers could be reminded that property is not as important as
life and that their sole function should be public safety, rather than
the protection of property, which is one of the common law duties
of police officer.
 8. Social Contract Theory
Social contract theory is another descriptive theory about society and the
relationship between rules and laws, and why society needs them. Accordingly,
a society without rules and laws to govern actions would be a dreadful place to
live. In such a state, people would act on their own accord, without any
responsibility to their community.
Importance of Social Contract Theory in Law Enforcement in Moral
Dilemmas
While social contract theory does not tell people how they ought
to behave, it does provide a basis to understand why society has
implemented rules, regulations, and laws. If not for the social
contract theory, our understanding of the need for these rules
would be limited.
Specifically, for law enforcement, social contract theory is
important to justify the power that law enforcement can exert over
the population as a whole. The power imbalance, held by law
enforcement, is part of the contract that society has agreed upon
in exchange for security. Where the contract can be problematic
is when the power used by law enforcement exceeds what is
expected by the society under the contract.

9. Rawl’s Theory Justice

John Rawls (1921-2002) was a contemporary philosopher who studied
theories surrounding justice. His theories are not focused on helping individuals
cope with ethical dilemmas; rather they address general concepts that consider
how the criminal justice system ought to behave and function in a liberal
democracy. It is for this reason that it important that all law enforcement
personnel be aware of Rawls’ theories of justice or at least have a general
understanding of the major concepts that he puts forth.

1. Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty
compatible with a similar liberty for others.
2. Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are
both (a) reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage (b) attached
to positions and offices open to all.

These principles should be adhered to, according to Rawls, to ensure that disadvantages are neutralize
and everyone receives the same benefits of justice. Rawls further addresses ethics in the individual,

though this is not the central tenet of his theory, and is somewhat of a general statement of
how moral people should behave.
MODERN ETHICAL ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

Five modern ethical issues in law enforcement involve the officer’s off-duty life,
upholding the law and your rights, using necessary force, and acting
impartially.

Off-Duty Life
Police officers are held to an extremely high standard that requires their
personal lives to reflect the integrity of their position. They must maintain a
professional image at all times because they are under constant public scrutiny
and rely on the public’s trust to maintain their position. While most jobs end
when the individual clocks out, policemen are faced with the ethical issues of
maintaining their level of social respect and adherence to the law every
moment. This often puts them in direct conflict with the society, especially those
that have little respect for the law or the badge.

Upholding the Law and the Citizen’s Rights

Each officer swears an oath to uphold the law and to defend an individual’s
constitutional rights. One of the ethical issues that an officer faces daily is the
ability to uphold these oaths when they are seemingly contradictory. One of the
biggest contradictions can be found in the present government drug wars,
which force police officers to act in the best interest of the state rather than the
individual. When someone is caught using or peddling illegal drugs, they could
be arrested or shot to death because they are “nan laban” to the arresting
police officers. A cop, sometimes, cannot consider the right to life and liberty
issues because they are under instruction to put end to drug menace at all
costs.

Necessary Force
All police officers have the authority to use necessary force to uphold the law,
but in some cases their use of force is unjustified. This ethical issue cops face
each day can, and does, put their lives in danger when dealing with those
individuals that are non-compliant. In the majority of cases, an officer must
make a split-second decision on what level of force is necessary, and a
misjudgment could result in injury or death for the officer. Research about
obedience to authority proved that a person’s perception of losing his
freedoms would provoke him to react and officers can easily be coerced in
high-stress environments to use unnecessary force.

Acting Impartially
One of the ethical issues officers are faced with is the requirement to act
impartially. This idealistic type of oath causes a host of problems in real-world
situations. It’s not always possible to act impartially, especially for local officers
that handle the same crowds of people throughout their career.

10 STEPS TO MAKE ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING EFFICIENT AND

PRACTICAL

1. Establish the facts surrounding the ethical dilemma

2. Determine your legal obligations and duties
3. Establish the interested participants involved
4. Determine the ethical values of each participant
5. Consider normative ethical theories as an aide to determine a course of
action
6. Consider options that would be ethically sound
7. Consideration of the possible negative and positive outcomes of each
possible option

ATTRIBUTES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

• Courageous
• Perseverance
• Compassion Generosity
• Truthfulness
• Good Temper

CORE VIRTUES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

• Prudence
• Trust
• Effacement of self-interest
• Courage
• Intellectual honesty
• Justice
• Responsibilty
 SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
PERSONNEL

• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Justice and Fairness
• Caring
• Civic virtue and citizenship

IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS AND VALUES

Ethics is essential knowledge. Without ethical perception, man is only an animal.

Without values, man as a rational being is a failure. Because ethics is too essential to be
dismissed, each one of us was gifted with an innate ability to understand what is right and
wrong. No matter how rudimentary and vague, even the primitive men had it. And modern
man, finding convenient reasons to turn his back from it, discovers that he is in the center of
it. Moral values are the only true measure of what man ought to be. The most powerful king,
or the most successful professional, is nothing unless he too is morally upright.
PNP ETHICS AND VALUES FORMATION

The Six (6) Core Work Values

1. INDUSTRIOUSNESS
- What a person wants to, looks for, keeps busy and strives to work
well.

2. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
- What a person does is dependent on him, and he puts his will and
intellect to his job (creativity/initiative) and is held accountable for it.

3. ORDER (SENSE OF TIME)

- Prioritizes the use of time, values his time, “first things first”.

4. COLLABORATION
- Fosters teamwork and solidarity for unity.
 5. DETERMINATION
- A person possesses qualities of perseverance, patience, and strength
to cope with obstacles, difficulties, and trials.

6. SERVICE
- Performing duties or work for another, a person or an institution that
brings about benefits and results.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ETHICS AND VALUES IN POLICE WORK

Immense Powers of the Police

A clear understanding of ethics is required for individuals exercising or wielding immense
powers and responsibilities. A police officer is one of these individuals who have a
tremendous impact over the lives of ordinary citizens, whether he is conscious of this fact or
not.

It can be said that in our system of criminal justice, the initial decision makers are the police.
In addition to being the enforcers of the law, they have the power to define what constitutes
lawbreaking. In short, police officers have a lot of discretionary powers. Furthermore, they
possess the power to decide whether or not to use deadly force, giving them the power of
life and death in some circumstances. No other public figure possesses greater authority
over the personal destiny of people. A police officer, in one split second, may act as the
prosecutor, judge and executioner. In many day-to-day decisions, police hold a great deal
of decision-making power over people’s lives, because of their authority to enforce the law.

Without an ethical perspective, a police officer becomes a tyrant

The tendency to abuse his power over citizen’s increases exponentially the weaker his
moral foundations become. It has well-documented throughout the history of the world that
power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is the absence of this ethical
perspective which has been deemed as the primary reason why cases of police misconduct
is still occurring in the PNP.
Only a strong moral base will provide officer protection from the inherent corruption his
discretionary powers brings. Without this moral guidance, law enforcers become the
oppressors of the people they are supposed to serve and protect.
The Social Contract
The police officers must display a higher of ethical behavior than that of the average citizen.
Based on the concept of the social contract, the government has the right to deprive people
of their freedom in specific circumstances or to use force if necessary to protect the rights
of the greater society. In exchange for this relinquishment of freedoms, society expects that
the government will protect citizens, respect the rights of citizens, and appoint agents (the
police) who have the integrity to protect citizens and adhere to the conditions of the social
contract.
Based on this philosophy, a society can expect the highest standards of behavior and
ethical conduct in persons afforded that power to deprive others of their basic liberties, in
other words, the public expects the police to behave at the highest levels of integrity and to
obey the rules and laws of society clearly for a social contract to remain a valid principle.

Police Officers as Role Models

August Vollmer (recognized as the Father of Police Professionalism) once said that “The
average citizen expects the police officer to have the wisdom of Solomon, the courage of
David, the strength of Samson, the patience of Job, the leadership of Moses, the faith of
Daniel, the Diplomacy of Lincoln, the Tolerance of the Carpenter of Nazareth, the Kindness
of the Good Samaritan, and finally, an intimate knowledge of every branch of natural,
biological, and social sciences. If he possesses all these qualities, then, he might be a good
policeman.” Vollmer was emphasizing a point – which is that police officers are held in very
high regard by society in general (and with great discretionary powers), hence must be very
responsible and mindful of their actions.

IMPACT OF FILIPINO TRAITS ON PNP ETHICS

The discussion of the positive and negative traits of the Filipino makes it clear that there is
much that is good in among Filipinos, but there is much that needs to be changed. It is also
clear that many of the Filipino’s strong points are also sources of weakness.
As people, they are person-oriented, and relationships with others are a very important part
of their lives. They are thus capable of much caring and concern for others. On the other
hand, their orientation in the extreme leads to lack objectivity and the disregard for universal
rules and procedures where everyone, regardless of their relationship with them, is treated
equally. Their orientation leads them to be concerned for people and yet unfair to some.
Ethics is a key component of competitiveness in the work environment. How to ensure that
work in an atmosphere characterized by mutual trust and confidence worth the respect of
everyone in society? There is no doubt on this fact that the greater the measure of mutual
trust and confidence in the ethics of society, the greater its strength and support to everyone.
Hence, ethics must be considered in a broader sense by the citizens and constituents in a
larger society.
POSITIVE TRAITS OF THE FILIPINO

1. Pakikipagkapwa-Tao

Filipinos are open to others and feel one with others. They regard others with
dignity and respect and deal with them as fellow human beings.
Pakikipagkapwa-tao is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness
and concern for others. It is demonstrated in the Filipino’s ability to empathize
with others, in helpfulness and generosity in times of need (pakikiramay), in
the practice of Bayanihan or mutual assistance and the famous Filipino
hospitality.

Pakikipagkapwa-tao results in camaraderie and a feeling of closeness to one another.

It is the foundation for unity as well as the sense of social justice.

2. Family Orientation

Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for family which includes not simply spouse
and children, parents and siblings, but also godparents and other ceremonial
relatives. To the Filipino, one’s family is the source of personal identity, the source of
emotional and material support, and one’s main commitment and responsibility.

Concern for the family is manifested in the honor and respect given to parents and
elders, in the care given to parents and elders, in the care given to children, the
generosity towards kin in need, and in the great sacrifices, one endures for the welfare
of the family. This sense of family results in a feeling of belongingness and rootedness
and a basic sense of security.

3. Joy and Humor

Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs. They
have a pleasant disposition, a sense of humor and a propensity for happiness that
contribute not only to the Filipino charm but also to the indomitability of the Filipino
spirit. They laugh at themselves, and the mess they are in is an important coping
mechanism. Often playful, sometimes cynical, sometimes disrespectful, they laugh at
those they love and at those they hate and make jokes about fortune and bad.

This sense of joy and humor is manifested in the Filipino’s love for social celebrations,
in their capacity to laugh even in the most trying of times, and in the appeal of political
satire. The result is a certain emotional balance, optimism, a healthy disrespect for
power and office and the capacity to survive.
4. Hard Work and Industry

Filipinos have the capacity for hard work given proper conditions. The desire
to raise one’s standard of living and to possess the essentials of a decent life
for one’s family, combined with the right opportunities and incentives, makes
the Filipino work very hard. This is manifested most noticeable in the
willingness to take risks with jobs abroad and, while there, to work at two or
three jobs. The result is productivity and entrepreneurship for some and
survival despite poverty for others.

5. Faith and Religiosity

Filipinos have a deep faith in God. Their innate religiosity enables them to
comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the context of God’s will and plan.
Thus, Tragedy and bad fortune are accepted, and some optimism
characterizes even the poorest lives.

6. Ability to Survive

Filipinos can survive, which is manifested in their capacity for endurance

despite difficult times and in their ability to get by on so very little. Filipinos
make do with what is available in the environment. This survival instinct is
related to the Filipino’s other strengths – a basic optimism, flexibility and
adaptability, hard work and deep faith in God.

7. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity

Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust and to adapt to circumstances and the
surrounding environment, both physical and social. Unplanned or
unanticipated events are never overly disturbing or disorienting as the flexible
Filipino adjusts to whatever happens. They possess a tolerance for ambiguity
that enables them to remain unfazed by uncertainty or lack of information.
They are creative, resourceful, quick learners, and can improvise and make
use of whatever to create and produce.

This quality of the Filipino is manifested in the ability to adapt to a life of the
world, in the ability to make new things out of old scraps, in the keep old
machines running, and of course, in the creative talent manifest culture
sphere. It is likewise seen in the ability to accept change. The result is
productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival.
NEGATIVE TRAITS OF THE FILIPINO

1. Extreme Personalism

This personalism is manifested in the tendency to give personal interpretations

to actions. Thus, a sincere question may be viewed as a challenge to one’s
competence, or positive feedback may be interpreted as a sign of special
affection. There is, in fact, some basis for such interpretations as Filipinos are
quite personal in criticism and praise. Personalism is also manifested in the
necessity for the establishment of personal relationships before any
businessman, or work relationships can be successful.

Because of this personalistic world view, Filipinos have difficulty dealing with
all forms of impersonal stimuli. It is for this reason that one is uncomfortable
with bureaucracy, with rules and regulations and with standard procedures, all
of which tend to be impersonal.

Personal contacts are involved in any transaction, and these are difficult to
turn down. Preference is usually given to family and friends in hiring, delivery
of services and even in voting. Extreme personalism thus leads to the graft
and corruption evident in Philippine society.

2. Extreme Family Centeredness

While concern for the family is one of the Filipino’s greatest strengths, in the
extreme it becomes a serious flaw. Excessive concern for the family creates
an in-group to which the Filipino is fiercely loyal to the detriment of concern for
the larger community or the common good.

Excessive concern for family manifests itself in the use of one’s office and
power as a means of promoting the interest of the family, in factionalism,
patronage and political dynasties, and the protection of erring family members.
It results in a lack of concern for the common good and acts as a block to
national consciousness.

3. Lack of Discipline

The Filipinos lack of discipline encompasses several related characteristics.

They have a casual and relaxed attitude towards time and space which
manifests itself in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time
management and procrastination. They have an aversion for following strictly
 a set of procedures and this result in a lack of standardization and quality
control.

The Filipino’s lack of discipline often results in inefficient and wasteful work
systems, violations of rules leading to more serious transgressions and a
casual work ethic leading to carelessness and lack of follow-through.

4. Passivity and Lack of Initiative

Filipinos are generally passive and lacking in initiative. One waits to be told
what has to be done. There is a strong reliance on others to do things for us.
This is related to one’s attitude towards authority. Filipinos need a strong
authority figure and feel safer and more secure in the presence of such an
authority. One is generally submissive to those in authority and is not likely to
raise issues or to question decisions.

Filipinos tend to be complacent, and there rarely is a sense pf urgency about

any problem. There is high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service and even
violations of one’s basic rights. In many ways, it can be said that the Filipino is
too patient and long-suffering (matiisin). Too easily resigned to one’s fate,
Filipinos are thus easily oppressed and exploited.

5. Kanya-Kanya Syndrome

Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a feeling of envy

and competitiveness toward others, particularly one’s peers who seem to have
gained some status or prestige. Towards them, the Filipino demonstrates the
so-called crab mentality (referring to the tendency of crabs in a basket to pull
each other down) using the leveling instrument of tsismis, intriga, and
unconstructive criticism to bring others down. There seems to be a basic
assumption that another’s gain one’s loss.

6. Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection

There is a tendency in the Filipino to be superficial and even somewhat flighty.

In the face of serious problems, both personal and social, there is a lack of
analysis or reflection. They joke about the most serious matters, and this
prevents looking deeply into the problem.

THE FILIPINO POLICE OFFICER

Introduction
The PNP situation makes it more unique than the national situation because it has its own
occupational and culture which exerts tremendous influence over its personnel’s belief and
values. Hence, a member of the PNP must contend with the two opposing influences- his
lineage as a Filipino, and his duty as a police officer.

Five characteristics of the job of police officer seem particularly useful in explaining how
police come to be different from civilians: the uniform, the power, working hours, danger,
and dirty work involved in police functions. In total, these factors work to separate the police
from the public and to accentuate any differences.

FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A POLICE OFFICER’S JOB

1. The Uniform

2. The power

3. The Working Hours

4. The danger

5. The Dirty Work

STRENGHTS OF THE FILIPINO POLICE OFFICER

1. Spiritual Belief
2. Valor
3. Patriotism
4. Discipline
5. Courteous
6. Word of Honor
7. Duty
8. Loyalty
9. Camaraderie

CHALLENGES FACING THE FILIPINO POLICE OFFICER

Political Meddling
o It is observed that some elected officials often attempt to influence police
operations to bolster their political positions in the community.

Corruption
o The police are not exempted from graft and corruption. As an institution, graft
and corruption. As an institution, graft and corruption had long taken roots in the
police agency. Corruption was nurtured by the long years of political patronage
that slowly eroded the moral foundation of the organization.

Graft and corruption in the police exist in different degrees. This corruption may
be as negligible as siphoning petroleum from police vehicles for private
consumption to illegal logging or gun-smuggling activities or illegal numbers
game. Corruption exists in the form of over-pricing of police uniforms and
supplies, “conversion deals,” and lending money at usurious rates. Police
themselves were affected by a lack of transparency in the administration of
police benefits.

Many analysts believe that police officers may be involved in the operations of
crime syndicates either as principles or protectors. Thus, public perceptions of
the police leave much to be desired.

MOST COMMON TYPES OF CORRUPTION IN THE PNP

1. Case Fixing – the subjective imposition of penalties or downright sabotage of the

investigation process in exchange for money or other things for personal gain.

2. Bribery – is the receipt of cash or a gift in exchange for past or future assistance in
avoidance of prosecution, as by claim that the offender is unable to make a positive
identification of a criminal or by being in the wrong place at a time when a crime is to
occur, or by being in the wrong place at a time when a crime is to occur, or by any
other action that may be excused as carelessness but not offered as proof of
deliberate miscarriage of justice. It is distinguished from extortion by the mutual
understanding regarding services to be performed upon the acceptance of the gift.

3. Extortion – is the common practice of holding “street court” where incidents such as
minor traffic tickets can be avoided with a cash payment to the officer and no receipt
given. Using this process, police
have also been known to extort money from arrested
drug personalities.
 4. Protection – the taking of money or other rewards from vice operators or from
legitimate companies operating illegally in return for protecting them from law
enforcement activity.

5. Recycling – the use or sale of confiscated items and evidence, usually drugs or
narcotics.

6. Selective Enforcement – occurs when police officers exploit their officer discretion.
For example, a PNP member who releases a suspect due to what is commonly
known as “areglo” or “balato” is in clear abuse of his or her discretion and authority.
On the reverse side, a police officer who arrests a person simply because the latter
“annoys” him is likewise guilty of selective enforcement.

7. Internal Pay-Offs – sale of work assignments, day-offs, holidays, vacation periods,

and even promotions.

WEAKNESS OF THE FILIPINO POLICE OFFICER

The weakness of the Filipino Police Officer is rooted in how he individual adapts to the
reality of his chosen profession. After gaining much-needed experience, a police officer often
realizes that the procedural approach (by the book) does not necessarily guarantee results.
In like manner, the same police officer acknowledges that the public unfairly judges his
competence based on actual results and not on whether he followed the correct process or
not. Faced with this moral dilemma, a police officer sometimes adjusts his high ethical
standards to meet the expectations of the public. This process eventually creates a
phenomenon known as a “sub-culture”, wherein a parallel set of values now exist side by
side with the prescribed values and behavior by the organization. The following are the
manifestation of this so-called ‘sub-culture”, which to be fair, do not necessarily apply to all
police officers, but are generally regarded to be existing and accepted as valid.

1. Misplaced Loyalty
- Due to the bond shared by police officers in their line of work, it
becomes one’s paramount duty to protect his fellow officers at all
cost, as they would protect you, even though you may have to risk
your career or your own life to do it.

2. Cynicism
- Sometimes, because of the experiences they acquire as law
enforcers, police view all citizens with suspicion.

3. The use of force

- The police sometimes embrace force for all situations wherein a
threat is perceived.

4. “The Police as Victims” Mentality

- This concept is based on the idea that the police are victims of public
misunderstanding and scorn and self-serving administrators.

5. Preferential Application of the Law

 - When a fellow officer’s immediate family or relative commits a minor
infraction, it is understandable to look the other way because of
“pakikisama”.it is common to hear the term “balato mo na sa akin
ito” during these types of situations

6. “the Police as Untouchable”

- Disrespect for police authority is an offense that should always be
punished with an arrest or use of force.

7. Rewards
- Police do very dangerous work, so it is proper to take any extra
rewards the public wants to give them, such as free meals,
Christmas gifts and free access to movies, public transport, etc.

8. Due Process
- Dues process is only means of protecting criminals at the expense
of the law abiding and should be ignored whenever it is safe to do
so. Illegal searches and wiretaps, interrogation without advising
suspects of their rights, and if need be, even physical pain to coerce
a confession are all acceptable methods for accomplishing the goal
the public wants the police to perform: fighting crime.

CANONS OF POLICE ETHICS

The following are the canons of police ethics:

1. Primordial police responsibility

2. Limitation of police authority
3. Knowledge of the law and other responsibilities
4. Use of proper to obtain proper ends
5. Cooperation with public officials
6. Proper conduct and behavior
7. Conduct toward the community
8. Conduct in arresting law violation
9. Firmness in refusing gifts or favors
10. Impartial presentation of evidence
11. Attitude toward police profession

• PRIMORDIAL POLICE RESPONSIBILITY

 The primary objective upholder of the law must know its crime; policeman knew too well
that he has committed his life to defend and protect the rights of the citizen and uphold the
law at all cost.

• LIMITATION OF POLICE AUTHORITY

Policeman as an upholder of the law must know its limitation upon him in enforcing the
law, thus:
a. He must be aware of the limitations which the people, through the law, have place
upon him
b. He must recognize the center of the democratic system of government which gives
no person or group persons, absolutes power
c. He must insure that he does not pervert its true character.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

a. The policeman shall assiduously apply himself to the principle of the laws which he
is sworn to apply.
b. He will make certain of his responsibilities in the particular field of enforcement,
seeking and of his superior in matters technically or in principle are not clear to him.
c. He shall make special effort to fully understand his relationship with other law
enforcement agencies particularly on matter of jurisdiction, both geographically and
substantively.

USE OF PROPER MEANS TO OBTAIN ENDS

a. The policeman shall be mindful of his responsibility to have strict selection of

methods in discharging the duty of his office.
b. Violation of law or disregard of public safety and property on the part of the officer
are intrinsically wrong. They are self-defeating if they instill in the public mind and a
like disposition.
c. The employment of illegal methods, no matter how worthy the end, is certain to
encourage disrespect for the law and its officer, if the law is to be honored, it must
first be honored by those who enforce it.

COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS

a. The policeman shall cooperate fully with other public officials in the performance of
authorized duties, regardless of party affiliation or personal prejudices.
b. He shall be meticulous, however, in assuring himself of property, under the law, of
such actions and shall guard against the use of his office of person whether
knowingly or in any improper or illegal action.
 PROPER CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOR

a. The policeman shall be mindful of his special identification by the public as an

upholder of law.
b. Police laxity of conduct or manner in private life, expressing either disrespect for the
law or seeking to gain special prevail, cannot but reflect upon in the policeman and
the police service.
c. The community and the service requires that the policeman leads the life of decent
and honorable person, following the career of policeman gives him no special
prerequisite.

CONDUCT TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY

a. The policeman shall be mindful of his responsibility to the community.

b. He shall deal with individuals of the community in the manner calculated to instill
respect for its law.
c. He shall conduct his official like in a manner that will inspire confidence and trust.
d. He will be neither overbearing nor subservient, as no individual citizen has obligation
to stand in awe of him or fight to command him.
e. He will do neither from personal preference or prejudice but rather a duly appointed
officer of the law discharging his sworn obligation.

FIRMNESS IN REFUSING GIFTS OR FAVORS

a. Policeman representing the government bears heavy responsibility of maintaining,

in his conduct, the honor and integrity of all government institution.
b. He shall guard against himself in a position in which the public can reasonably
assume that special consideration is being given.
c. He shall be firm in refusing gifts, favors or gratitude, large or small, which can be
the public mind, be interpreted as capable of influencing his judgement in the
discharge of his duties.

IMPARTIAL PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE

a. Policeman shall be concerned equally in the prosecution of the accused in the

defense of the innocent.
b. He shall ascertain what kind of evidence and shall present such evidence impartially
and without malice.
c. He shall ignore social, political and all other distinction among the person involved,
strengthening the tradition of the reliability and integrity of an officer’s word.
d. He shall be mindful that in many situations be is the sole impartially testimony to the
fact of the case.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS POLICE PROFESSION

a. Policeman shall regard the discharge of his duties as a public trust and recognize
his responsibilities as a public servant.
b. He shall strive to make the best possible application of science to the selection of
the crime and in the field of human relation.
 c. He shall strive for effective leadership and public influence in matters affecting public
safety.
d. He shall appreciate the importance and responsibility of his office, and hold police
work to be a honorable profession rendering valuable service to his community.
e. Through study and experience, a police officer can acquire the high level of
knowledge and competence that is essential for the efficient and effective
performance of duty. The acquisition of knowledge is a never-ending process of
personal and professional development that should be pursued constantly.

POLICE PRINCIPLE

The following are the professional police principles:

1. Prevention of crime and disorder.

2. Cooperation of the community.
3. Unreasonable force reduces community cooperation.
4. Use of reasonable force when persuasion is not sufficient.
5. Impartial enforcement of laws.
6. The community are the police.
7. Police should not usurp judicial powers.
8. Rules of engagement impartially observed.
9. Reduction of crime and dishonor.
10. Police discretion.

THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards
(PNP Code of Conduct)

All PNP members shall abide and adhere to the provision of this Code of
Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards Towards this end, a truly
professionalized and dedicated law enforcer shall be developed in promoting peace
and order ensuring public safety and enhancing community participation guided by
the principle that a public office is a public trust and that all public servants must at
all times be accountable to the people.
 They shall serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, morality, loyalty and
efficiency with due respect to human rights and dignity as hallmark of a democratic
society. They shall at all times bear faithful allegiance to the legitimate government,
support and uphold the Constitution, respect the duly constituted authority and be
loyal to the police service.

Definition of Terms:

1. Neglect of Duty or Nonfeasance

➢ the omission or refusal, without sufficient excuse, to perform an act or

duty, which was the officer's legal obligation to perform.

2. Irregularities in the Performance of Duty

➢ the improper performance of some act which might lawfully be done.

3. Misconduct or Malfeasance

➢ the doing of a wrongful act; It always involves dishonesty, illegality or

knowingly exceeding authority for improper reasons.

4. Incompetency

➢ Is the manifest lack of adequate ability and fitness for the satisfactory
performance of police duties.

5. Oppression

➢ It imports an act of cruelty, severity, unlawful, execution, domination, or

excessive use of authority.

6. Dishonesty

➢ Is the concealment or distortion of truth in a matter of fact relevant of one’s

office or connected with the performance of his duties.

7. Disloyalty to the Government

➢ Consists of abandonment or renunciation of one’s loyalty to the

Government of the Philippines, or advocating the overthrow of the
government.

8. Violation of Law

➢ It presupposes conviction in court of any crime of offense penalized under

Revised Penal Code or any special law or ordinances.
 POLICE OFFICER’S CREED AND STAND ON BASIC ISSUES

The PNP Values

The police service is a noble profession and demands from its members specialized
knowledge and skills and high standard of ethics and morality. In this regard, the members
of the Philippine National Police must adhere to and internalize the enduring core values
of Fear of God, Honor the Government, and Respect the People.

THE POLICE OFFICER’S CREED

I believe in God, The Supreme Being, The Great Provider, and The Creator of all men
and everything dear to me. In return, I can do no less than love Him above all obeying His word,
seek His guidance in the performance of my sworn duties and honor Him at all times.

I believe that respect for authority is a duty. I respect and uphold the Constitution, the laws
of the land and the applicable rules and regulations. I recognize the legitimacy and authority of the
leadership, and obey legal orders of my superior officers.

I believe in selfless love and service to people. Towards this end, I commit myself to the
service of my fellowmen over and above my personal interest.

I believe in the sanctity of marriage and family life. I shall set the example of decency and
morality, shall have high regard for family life and value of marital fidelity.
 I believe in the responsible dominion and stewardship over material things. I shall inhibit
myself from extravagance and ostentatious display of material things. I shall help prote ct the
environment and conserve nature to maintain ecological balance.

I believe in the wisdom of truthfulness. I must be trustworthy and I shall uphold the truth at
all times.

BASIC ISSUES

The deployment and employment of PNP personnel require the organization and its
members to bare their stand on the following basic issues:

PNP Image – The image of any organization affects the esprit d’ corps,
morale and welfare of the members , and sense of pride to the organization
. Thus, all members of the PNP should act in a manner that would reflect
best on the PNP and live by the PNP’s core values.

Career Management, the Key to Professionalism – The Proper

implementation of the PNP’s Career Management will greatly enhance the
personnel professionalization process with regards to procurement, training,
promotion, assignment, placement, awards and retirement. The PNP shall
formulate a stringent policy and strictly implement the human resources
development system, compatible to the equitable distribution of
procurement, fair promotion, rationalized approach in assignment, skill
development, immediate grant of reward and award, and decent living upon
retirement.

Police Management Leadership – The effectiveness of law enforcement is

reflective of the managerial capabilities and competent leadership of the men
and women who run the PNP organization. These attributes must therefore
be one of the primary bases for consideration in the selection of personnel
for employment and deployment purposes.

Equality In the Service – There shall be judicious and equitable distribution

of opportunity to prove one’s worth in the police service. The problem on
inequity thru class orientation and factionalism, both real and perceived,
premised on favored assignment, inequitable opportunity of training, unfair
granting of promotion, and untimely awarding of achievements, will create an
atmosphere of demoralization. The result is inefficiency and lack of teamwork
to the detriment of the organization. It behooves. Therefore, on the PNP
 leadership address the situation. The civilian character of the organization
requires adherence to the rule on merit and fitness system and to dissociate
the above process from class orientation and factionalism.

Delicadeza- In consonance with the requirements of honor and integrity in

the PNP, all members must have the moral courage to sacrifice self-interest
in keeping with the time-honored principle of delicadeza.

Police Lifestyle- The PNP shall promote and maintain a lifestyle for its
members which the public will find credible and respectable. The public
expects a police officer to live a simple and dignified life. They must be free
from greed corruption and exploitation.

Political Patronage- PNPP members shall inhibit themselves from

soliciting political patronage on matters pertaining to assignment, award,,
training and promotion.

Setting Example- All PNP members shall set good example to their
subordinates and follow good example from the superiors.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Standard of Police Professionalism

PNP members shall perform their duties with integrity, intelligence and
competence in the application of specialized skills and technical knowledge
with excellence and expertise.

Police Professional Conduct

❖ Commitment to Democracy- Uniformed PNP members shall commit

themselves to the democratic way of life and values and maintain the
principle of public accountability. They shall at all times uphold the
Constitution and be loyal to our country, people and organization, above their
loyalty to any person.
❖ Commitment to Public Interest- PNP members shall always uphold public
interest over and above personal interest. All government properties,
resources and powers of their respective offices must be employed and used
effectively, honestly and efficiently, particularly to avoid wastage of public
funds and revenues. PNP members must avoid and prevent the
“malversation” of human resources, government time, property and funds.

❖ Non-Partisanship- PNP members shall provide services to everyone without

discrimination regardless of party affiliation in accordance with existing laws
and regulations.

❖ Physical Fitness and Health- PNP members shall strive to be physically and
mentally fit and in good health at all times. Toward this end, they shall
undergo regular physical exercises and annual medical examination in any
PNP Hospital or Medical facility, and actively participate in the Physical
Fitness and Sports Development Program of the PNP.

❖ Secrecy Discipline- PNP members shall guard the confidentiality of classified

information against unauthorized disclosure, including confidential aspects
of official business, special orders, communications and other documents
roster or any portion thereof, contents of criminal records, identities of
persons who may have given information to the police in confidence and
other classified information or intelligence material.

❖ Social Awareness- PNP members and their immediate family members shall
be encouraged to actively get involved in religious, social and civic activities
to enhance the image of the organization without affecting their official duties.

❖ Non- Solicitation of Patronage- PNP members shall seek self-improvement

through career development and shall not directly or indirectly solicit
influence or recommendation from politicians, high ranking government
officials prominent citizens, persons affiliated with civic or religious
organizations with regards to their assignments, promotions, transfer or
those of other members of the force, nor shall they initiate any petition to be
prepared and presented by citizens in their behalf. Moreover, they shall
advise their immediate relatives not to interfere in the activities of the police
service particularly in the assignment and reassignment of personnel.

❖ Proper Care and Use of Public Property- PNP members shall promote and
maintain sense of responsibility in the protection, proper care and judicious
disposition and use of public property issued for their official use or entrusted
to their care and custody just like “ a good father of their family”.
When the Commander/Director is relieved from his post, all
properties/equipment belonging to the government must be turned-over to
the incoming. A committee for the purpose shall be proper. Hence, it is a
taboo for outgoing Commander/Director to detach, remove and bring home
or to his new assignment properties which do not personally belong to him.

❖ Respect for Human Rights- In the performance of duty, PNP members shall
respect and protect human dignity and uphold the human rights of all
persons. No member shall inflict, instigate or tolerate extra-judicial killings,
arbitrary arrests, any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
 treatment or punishment and shall not invoke superior orders or exceptional
circumstances such as a state –of-war, a threat to national security, internal
political instability or any public emergency as a justification for committing
such human rights violations.

❖ Devotion to Duty- PNP members shall perform their duties with dedication
thoroughness, efficiency enthusiasm, determination, and manifest concern
for public welfare, and shall refrain from engaging in any activity which shall
be conflict with their duties as public servants.

❖ Conservation of Natural Resources- PNP members shall help in the

development and conservation of our natural resources for ecological
balance and posterity as these are the inalienable heritage of our people.

❖ Discipline- PNP members shall conduct themselves properly at all times in

keeping with the rules and regulations of the organization.

❖ Loyalty- PNP members shall be loyal to the Constitution and the police
service as manifested by their loyalty to their superiors peers and
subordinates as well.

❖ Obedience to Superiors- PNP members shall obey lawful orders of and be

courteous to superior officers and other appropriate authorities within the
chain of command. They shall readily accept whenever they are assigned
anywhere in the country. Therefore, it is taboo for any personnel to petition
in court or in any public forum his assignment.

❖ Command Responsibility- In accordance with the Doctrine on Command

Responsibility, immediate Commanders/ Directors shall be responsible for
the effective supervision, control and direction of their personnel and shall
see to it that all government resources shall be managed, expended or
utilized in accordance with laws and regulations and safeguard against
losses thru illegal or improper disposition.

The Ethical Standards

Ethical standards shall refer to established and generally accepted moral values.
Ethical acts to be observed are the following:

❖ Morality- PNP members shall adhere to high standards of morality and

decency and shall set good examples for others to follow. In no instance
during their terms of office, among other things, shall they be involved as
owners, operators, managers or investors in any house of ill-repute or illegal
gambling den or other places devoted to vices, nor they shall patronize such
places unless on official duty, and tolerate operations of such establishments
in their respective areas of responsibilities. They shall be faithful to their
lawfully wedded spouses.

❖ Judicious Use of Authority – PNP members shall exercise proper and

legitimate use of authority in the performance of duty.
 ❖ Integrity – PNP members shall not allow themselves to be victims of
corruption and dishonest practices in accordance with the provisions of RA
6713 and other applicable laws.

❖ Justice – PNP members shall strive constantly to respect the rights of others
so that they can fulfill their duties and exercise their rights as human beings,
parents, children, citizens, workers, leaders, or in other capacities and to see
to it that others do likewise.

❖ Humility – PNP members shall recognize the fact that they are public
servants and not the masters of the people and towards this end, they should
perform their duties without attracting attention or expecting the applause of
others.

❖ Orderliness – PNP members shall follow original procedures in

accomplishing tasks assigned to them to minimize waste in the use of time,
money and effort.

❖ Perseverance – Once a decision is made, PNP members shall take

legitimate means to achieve the goal even in the face of internal or external
difficulties, and despite anything which might weaken their resolve in the
course of time.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

General Statement

The PNP adopts the generally acceptable customs and traditions based on the
desirable practices of the police service. These shall serve to inspire PNP
members as the organization endeavors to attain its goals and objectives.

Definition of Terms:

❖ Customs - Established usage or social practices carried on by tradition that

have obtained the force of law.

❖ Traditions – Bodies of beliefs, stories, customs and usages handed down

from generation to generation with the effect of an unwritten law.

❖ Courtesy – A manifestation of expression of consideration and respect for

others.
 ❖ Ceremony – A formal act or set of formal acts established by customs or
authority as proper to special occasion.

❖ Social Decorum – A set of norms and standards practiced by members

during social activities and other functions.

The following are customs on courtesy in the PNP:

❖ Salute – Salute is the usual greetings rendered by uniformed members upon

meeting and recognizing person entitled to a salute.

❖ Salute to National Color and Standard – Members stand at attention and

salute the national color and standard as these pass by them or when the
national color is raised or lowered during ceremonies.

❖ Address/Title – Junior in rank address senior members who are entitled to

salute with the word “Sir” or “Ma’am”. All Police Commissioned Officers shall
be addressed sir or ma’am by Police Non-Commissioned Officers and
NonUniformed Personnel.

❖ Courtesy Calls – The following are the customs on courtesy calls:

• Courtesy Call of Newly Assigned/Appointed Member – PNP

members who are newly appointed or assigned in a unit or
command call on the chief of the unit or command and other key
personnel as a matter of courtesy, as well as for accounting,
orientation and other purposes.

• Christmas Call – PNP members pay a Christmas Call on their local

executives in their respective areas of responsibility.

• New Year’s Call – PNP members pay a New Year’s call on their
commanders and /or key officials in their respective areas of
responsibility.

• Promotion Call – Newly promoted PNP members call on their unit

head. On this occasion, they are usually given due recognition and
congratulations by their peers for such deserved accomplishment.

• Exit Call – PNP members pay an Exit Call on their superiors in the
unit or command when relieved or reassigned out of the said unit
or command.
 • Courtesy of the Post – The host unit extend hospitality to visiting
personnel who pay respect to the command or unit.

• Rank Has –Its –Own Privilege (RHIP) – PNP members recognize

the practice that different ranks carry with them corresponding
privileges.

Police Customs on Ceremonies

❖ Flag Raising Ceremony – PNP members honor the flag by hoisting ii and
singing the National Anthem before the start of the official day’s work.

❖ Flag Lowering Ceremony – At the end of the official days’ work, the PNP
members pause for a moment to salute the lowering of the flag.

❖ Half-Mast – The flag is raised at half-mast in deference to deceased

uniformed members of the command.

❖ Funeral Service and Honors – Departed uniformed members, retirees, war

veterans or former PC/INP members are given vigil, necrological services
and graveside honors as a gesture of farewell.

❖ Ceremony Tendered to Retirees – In recognition of their long, faithful and

honorable service to the PNP, a testimonial activity shall be tendered in their
honor.

❖ Honor Ceremony – Arrival and departure honor ceremonies are rendered to

visiting dignitaries, VIPs, PNP Officers with the grade of Chief
Superintendent and above and AFP officers of equivalent grade, unless
waived.

❖ Turnover Ceremony – The relinquishment and assumption of command or

key position is publicly announced in a Turnover Ceremony by the outgoing
and incoming officers in the presence of the immediate superior or his
representative. Outgoing Commander/Director should not leave his post
without proper turnover. Turn-over includes turnover of
properties/equipment, human and material resources.

❖ Wedding Ceremony -- During marriage of PNP members, a ceremony is

conducted with participants in uniform and swords drawn.

❖ Anniversary – The birth or institutional establishment of a command or unit

is commemorated in an Anniversary Ceremony.

❖ Proper Attire – PNP members always wear appropriate and proper attire in
conformity with the occasion.

❖ Table Manners – PNP members observe table etiquette at all times.

❖ Social Graces – PNP members conduct themselves properly in dealing with

people during social functions.
 ❖ Uniform/Appearance – The public looks upon a PNP member as distinctively
a man among men. It is a welcome sight when PNP members wear their
uniform properly wherever they may be. Bulging stomach is a taboo in the
uniformed service. Since disciplined PNP members are best exemplified by
those who are neat in appearance and wearing the prescribed uniform, they
must therefore observe the following:

• Wearing of prescribed uniform.

• Adherence to haircut prescribed by rules & regulations.

❖ Manner of Walking- Every PNP Member is expected to walk with pride and
dignity.

Other Police Customs:

❖ Visiting the Sick- Immediate commanders or other available officers of the

unit visit PNP Members who are sick in the hospital, their residence or any
place of confinement in order that their needs are attended to.

❖ Survivor Assistance of Heir of Deceased Members- A survivor officer is

designated whenever PNP members die, to render maximum assistance to
their bereaved family until all benefits due shall have been received.

❖ Visiting the Religious Leaders- PNP Officers visit religious leaders in their
areas of assignment to establish or maintain rapport and cooperation
between the different religious leaders and the PNP.

❖ Athletics- PNP members indulge in physical fitness activities o insure that

their proper physical appearance and bearing are smaller than the size of his
chest and in conformity with the standard set forth by the organization.

❖ Happy Hours- Usually on Friday or any other day suitable for the occasion,
PNP members gather together at their PNP club for a light hearted jesting or
airing of minor gripes.
Police Tradition

The following are police traditions:

❖ Spiritual Beliefs- PNP members are traditionally religious and God-loving

person. They attend religious services together with the members of their
family.

❖ Valor- History attests that the Filipino law enforcers have exemplified the
tradition of valor in defending the country from aggression and oppression
and protecting/preserving the life and property of the people. They sacrificed
their limbs and lives for the sake of their countrymen whom they have
pledged to serve.

❖ Patriotism- The PNP members are traditionally patriotic by nature. They

manifest their love of country with a pledge of allegiance to the flag and a
vow to defend the constitution.

❖ Discipline- The discipline of the PNP members is manifested by instinctive

obedience to lawful orders and thorough and spontaneous actions towards
attainment of organizational objectives guided by moral, ethical and legal
norms.

❖ Gentlemanliness-PNP members are upright in character, gentle in manners,

dignified in appearance, and sincere in their concern to fellowmen.

❖ Word of Honor- PNP members’ word is their bond. They stand by and commit
to uphold it.

❖ Duty- PNP members have historically exemplified themselves as dedicated

public servants who perform their tasks with a deep sense of responsibility
and selfsacrifice. They shall readily accept assignment anywhere in the
country.

❖ Loyalty- PNP members are traditionally loyal to the organization, country and
people as borne by history and practice.

Camaraderie- The binding spirit that enhances teamwork and cooperation in the police
organization, extending to the people they serve., in manifested by the PNP members’
deep commitment and concern for one another