MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged the newly promoted officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to work for the people “until the very last day, the last hour” of their service, and to not sit on their laurels.

“Each one of you will spend the last mile of your glorious journey not counting the days to your retirement but chalking up and receiving greater success, and showing off more achievements,” President Marcos said during the Oath-Taking of Star Rank Officers of the PNP in Malacañang.

“That is the only way that we can honor the trust that our people have given – to work for them until the very last day, the last hour, the last minute of your service. Do it so when it is time for you to troop the line for the last time, you go contented and comforted in the knowledge that you leave the service and the country a better place than what you found,” the President said.

President Marcos Jr. also affirmed his commitment to ensuring public safety, as he called on the newly promoted police officials to work hard and with integrity for the benefit of the people.

The President also urged the police force to focus on using modern technology that aids in protecting and serving the people, especially in battling cybercrime, where the emerging and evolving digital landscape faces threats that can undo its potential contribution to national growth.

The government is strengthening its anti-cybercrime efforts, from detection and response to case buildup and resolution, Marcos pointed out, vowing to continue to train PNP personnel in combatting cybercrime and enhancing cybersecurity capabilities.

“As you carry out your mission, let me assure you of this administration’s unwavering support and commitment to enhance the PNP’s capabilities and the welfare of all PNP personnel,” he said, stressing the state will strive to ensure the well-being and professional growth of PNP and invest in their development and success.

Marcos also praised the police for effectively fighting crime and ensuring peace and order under his administration.

While the country recorded 295,382 crimes in 2017, by 2022, this was down to 207,143 and was brought down further to 198,617 in the first full year of the Marcos administration.

Index crimes have also gone down by threefold in the same period – from 107,899 in 2017 to 38,436 last year.

President Marcos also noted a 98 percent crime clearance efficiency last year, which was sustained in the first two months of 2024, or from January to February this year.

“Compared to January to February of last year, there were fewer cases of theft, robbery, carnaping, rape, and physical injury. And we have done it without resorting to legal shortcuts or short-circuiting the process or acts that subvert the rule of law,” the President said.

He also said human rights violations have dropped by 50 percent in 2023 as compared to that of 2022.

“Incidents of human rights violations were down by half in 2023 as compared to 2022. It proves that rules that strengthen the fabric of our democracy, rules that our heroes had died for, rules enshrined in our Constitution, are not inconveniences in policing but are in fact integral and indispensable in serving justice,” Marcos said.

The President also made it very clear that “we should not be content with the current decrease in crime rates.”

While crime statistics can be counted, and crime incidents reduced, even in their diminished state, the disturbance they cause is still immeasurable, the President said. (PND)