MODULE 4

(FINAL)

Learning Objectives: after the lesson and interactive discussions, the students will be able to:

1. Distinguish fundamental police doctrine from operational police doctrine and functional police
doctrine.
2. Explain how ethics plays a pivotal role in the police system.
3. Distinguish between police force and police service
4. Understand by heart the distinction between ethics and values, and
5. Draw a conclusion why police ethics is in tandem with values.

POLICE DOCTRINE

What is police doctrine?

Generally speaking, police doctrine is defined as an authoritative statement of principles prescribing the
proper acquisition, use and employment of PNP human and material resources to achieve plan
objectives.

Types of Police Doctrine

There are two types of police doctrine namely:

1. Primary doctrine
2. Secondary doctrine

PRIMARY POLICE DOCTRINE

The following are the kinds of Primary Police Doctrine

 Fundamental police doctrine – it refers to the basic principle in planning, organization and
management of the Philippine National Police in support of the overall pursuits of the vision,
mission , strategic action plan attainment.
 Operational Police Doctrine - refers to the principle and rules governing the planning,
organizing, directing and employment of PNP forces in the accomplishment of basic security
operational mission in the maintenance of peace and order, crime prevention and suppression,
internal security and public safety operation.
 Fuctional Police Doctrine – is a kind of police doctrine which provides guidelines for specialized
activities of the Philippine National Police in the broad field of interest such as personnel,
intelligence, operations, logistic planning, comptrollership, community relations, investigation,
research and training.
 SECONDARY POLICE DOCTRINE

The following are the kinds of secondary police doctrine namely:

 Complimentary Doctrine - this doctrine is formulated jointly by two or more bureaus in

order to effect a certain operation with regards to public safety and peace and order.
 Ethical Doctrine – this doctrine defines the fundamental principles governing the rules of
conduct, attitude and behavior of every police officer.

Ethics, defined.

Ethics may be defined in the following ways:

- As the set of established principles governing virtuous behavior.

- As the disciplined which deals with the study of standard of conduct and moral judgement
- As the study and philosophy of human conduct, emphasizing the determination of right and
wrong or to the basic principles of right action
- As the study and analysis of what constitutes good or bad conduct.

PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SERVICE ETHICS

Public Service. Defined.

In general, a public service may be defined as a service which is provided by government to the
people living within its jurisdiction, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private
provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus (usually expressed through
democratic elections) that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income. Even where
public services are neither publicly provided nor publicly financed, for social and political reasons they
are usually subject to regulation going beyond that applying to most economic sectors. Public service is
also a course that can be studied at a college and/or university.

Police Service. Defined,

A police service may be defined as a body sanctioned by local, state, or national government to
enforce laws and apprehend those who break them.

Public servants treat their office as a public trust, using power and resources for public interest,
not to attain personal benefit or private interest incompatible with the public good.
Distinction between POLICE FORCE and POLICE SERVICE

A police SERVICE focuses more on a pro active/preventive/intervention style of policing . police

services do not just take priority cues from the public they actively involve them in helping to find their
own solutions. It is a cooperative style of policing which is fairly open.

Whereas a police FORCEmodel tends to be more reactive, militaristic and aggressive in its
approach & response to situations. It is noteworthy that the frequent goal of this approach is an arrest
and charge outcome.

Principles governing public service ethics

 Objective Judgement – public servants use independent objective judgement in performing their
duties, and decide all matters based on the merits.
 Accountability – a government is conducted openly, efficiently, equitably and honorably that
permits the citizenry to make judgement and hold government officials accountable.
 Democratic Leadership – it is a fundamental principle that a public servant is duty-bound to
respect the principles of representative democracy, and as such, he must set a positive example
of good citizenship by scrupulously observing the letter and spirit of laws and rules.
 Respectability – a public servantis duty-bound to safeguard public confidence and integrity of
government by being honest, fair, caring and respectful and by avoiding conduct creating the
appearance of improperly or which is otherwise unbefitting a public official.

VALUES, defined.

Values refers to the accepted principles or standards of a person or group of persons.

PROFESSIONAL POLICE PRINCIPLES

The ff are the professional police principles:

1. Prevention of crime and disorder – it is the fundamental reason of the police existence as an
alternative to the repression of crime and disorder by police force and severity of legal
punishment.
2. Cooperation of the community – PNP members secure the willingness and cooperation of the
community as well as the voluntary observance of the law by the community it serves.
3. Unreasonable force reduce community cooperation – PNP members shall use reasonable force
only when necessary in the discharge of their duty.
4. Use of reasonable force when persuasion is not sufficient – PNP members shall use reasonable
force only when necessary in the discharge of their duty.
5. Impartial enforcement of Laws – it means without regard to the justice and injustice of the
substance of particular laws.
6. The community are the police – this affirms historic tradition that the police are the community
and the community are the police.
 7. Police should not usurp judicial powers – this means that the police is never averaging
individuals of the state of authoritative judging guilt of punishing the guilt.
8. Reduction of Crime and Disorder – this is the test of police efficiency
9. Rule of enforcement impartially observed – this means that the police considers the safety and
security of who might be caught in the crossfire or arm encounters.
10. Police discretion – this pertains to the principle of reasonableness guides the officers
considering all surrounding circumstances whether any legal action shall be taken.

Definition of terms

1. Neglect of Duty or Nonfeasance – is the omission or refusal, without sufficient excuse, to

perform an act or duty, which it was the peace officers’s legal obligation to perform, it implies a
duty as well as its breach and the fact can never be found in the absence of a duty.
2. Irregularities in the performance of duty – is the improper performance of some act which might
be lawfully done.
3. Misconduct or malfeasance – is the doing, either through ignorance, in attention or malice, of
that which the officer had no legal right to do all, as where he act without any authority
whatsoever, or exceeds, ignores or abuses his powers. Misconduct generally means wrongful,
improper or unlawful conduct, motivated by premeditated, obstinate or intentional purpose.
Misfeasance on the other hand is the performance of a duty or act that one is obligated or
permitted to do in a menner which is improper, sloppy or negligent (eg. Aggressively
reprimanding a citizen improper searching of arrested persons.)
4. In-competency – is the manifest lack of adequate ability and fitness for the satisfactory
performance of police duties. This has reference to any physical intellectual quality the lack of
which substantially incapacities one to performs duties of peace officer.
5. Oppression – it imports an act of cruelty, severity, unlawful execution, domination, or excessive
use of authority. The exercise of the unlawful powers or other means, in depriving, an individual
of his liberty or property against his will is generally an act of oppression.
6. Dishonesty – is the concealment or distortion of truth in a matter of fact relevant to one’s office
or connected with the performance of his duties.
7. Disloyalty to the government – consist of abandonment or renunciation of one’s loyalty to the
Government of the Philippines, or advocating the overthrow of the government.
8. Violation of the law – it presupposes conviction in court of any crime of offense penalized under
revised penal code or any special law or ordinances.