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1 PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF PNP PERSONNEL Jose Maria G. Pelayo III, MASD, MP-MT Marcelo L. Montanio, Ph.D. Ailyn F. Caparal Stephanie Nadine B. Hollands Wency M. Lagasca Shiela May G. Martin Jessa M. Perez John Marco J. Sampaga Rein Gabriel C. Tolentino April 2019 2 Abstract Public att...

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PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF PNP PERSONNEL Marcelo Montanio, Jose Maria G . Pelayo III

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PUBLIC PERCEPTION ON JOB PERFORMANCE OF PNP PERSONNEL

Jose Maria G. Pelayo III, MASD, MP-MT Marcelo L. Montanio, Ph.D. Ailyn F. Caparal Stephanie Nadine B. Hollands Wency M. Lagasca Shiela May G. Martin Jessa M. Perez John Marco J. Sampaga Rein Gabriel C. Tolentino

April 2019

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Abstract

Public attitude strongly shapes the policies and decisions of Criminal Justice institutions such as the police. Negative image has been the staple of the news regarding the Philippine National Police and there had several efforts to ameliorate the same. Due primarily to the reactive nature of police work, the police as a public institution rely more heavily on the support and cooperation of the public to achieve success in the performance of their duties than other criminal justice agencies. What people think about the police and their work is highly important because it may well serve as a significant social indicator of the political health of the society as a whole . Knowing the resident’s opinions about the police is equally important for law enforcement agencies. In addition, issues of trust are particularly important in democratic societies, where police actions have to be legitimized by the citizens.. This study examined the perception and attitude of the public towards the police in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Philippines. Using descriprive survey as method and survey questionnaires as data collection instruments the study suggested that, when the police treat citizens fairly and respectfully (procedural justice), people view the police as legitimate, comply with police instructions, and cooperate with requests. Citizens who perceive the police as legitimate engage more positively with the police, obey laws without the threat of punishment, and subsequently, are less likely to make complaints about their encounters with the police, have higher levels of satisfaction with the police generally, and are more likely to report crime and disorder problems.

Keywords: police, public trust, perception and attitude on police

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Introduction

The law enforcement is one of the pillars of the criminal justice system which focuses on enforcing the law, and the perceptions on criminological understanding according to its functions describes that without this pillar the justice systems could not work or attain its main objective. The Philippine National Police or PNP, primarily recognize the demographical, characteristics and moral activeness of each police officer. The police personnel need to be adequate on their jobs because it is part of the government support for the community.

The police authorities are perceived as legitimate when trusted by citizens. As a result, these citizens are more likely to obey the law and coordinate with the authorities. When police officers can provide the basic safety and security of the citizens, trust for the police is established (Goldsmith, 2003). In line with this, a factor that may promote or inhibit citizen’s trust in the police warrants additional study.

The overall image of police officers indicates the perception of the public to the police. The common perceptions when measured are advantageous because it offers a summary measure of the level of overall support and favorable public views for the police force (Gallagher, 2001).

According to studies, the criminal justice institutions and their policies tend to be strongly influenced by different public attitudes (Helsey & White, 2008; Roberts & Hastings, 2007). The police, as a public institution, solely depend on the cooperation and support of the public to attain the success in the performance of their responsibilities than any other criminal justice agencies.

Three decades ago, P.R Benson remarked to an average citizen that police officers are the most observable and obtrusive agents of the governmental authority and power. The people’s perception about the police and their duty is very important for it serves as an essential social indicator of the political health of the society in general (Benson, 1981, p.45).

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It is very important for the law enforcement to know the resident’s opinions about the police. These opinions and perceptions are tend to affect the law enforcement officer’s work performance and should be considered as an important element of a successful police training and effective activity planning. Moreover, trust issues are specifically significant in democratic societies, where police actions are needed to be legitimized by the citizens (Kaariainen, 2007, p. 410).

On the other hand, Pakistan is a country that indicates a pragmatic change, specifically in the case of public sector institutions, where majority the public trust is lesser. Some representative of men and women from the different part of the country were tasked to give comments on different government institutions in which they have experienced trouble or arguments. Public’s perception toward some government departments in the Philippines has trust issues or challenges—for instance, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for allegation that the latter were involved in the P 6.4 M shabu shipment that slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in May 2017; the lower house and the lawmakers critical of the national budget claim it contained illegal pork barrel bunds and cuts on social services; however, the Senate failed to approve the national budget in time (Pulse Asia, 2018).

Some citizens and netizens claim that they experienced being in trouble in one of our government institutions. Seventy-two percent (72%) had bad experiences with police, while twenty-seven percent (27%) did not experience it at all and a single percent (1%) gave no response. The data show that a higher percentage of citizens in rural area (74%) had experienced more trouble with the police than those who live in urban area (69%). In addition, 79% of male claimed to have experienced a direct and indirect trouble with the police and 65 % for females (Gallup Survey, 2009).

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Different researches were conducted and suggest that when a police officer treats a citizen justly and courteously, people will tend to view the police as legitimate who comply and cooperate with correct police procedures. These citizens who recognize police as true and just will positively affect their cooperation. They will abide the law without the doubt and threat of being punished and unjustified. As a result, citizens will less likely to have complaints and rants about the police they encounter, there will be satisfaction with the police performance in general, and they are more likely to cooperate in reporting crimes and wrongdoings in our country ( Bradford et al. 2009; Kane2005; Kochel et al. 2011; Tyler 1990, 2003; Tyler and Huo 2002).

Moreover, even criminals who have negative perceptions with the authorities such as the police will tend to comply and cooperate with the law. Thus, they will believe that police in our country are true and just. The primary theme that connects research around the world is that police legitimacy promotes law-abiding citizens even when authorities are not physically present (Papachristos, et al. 2009).

In our country, police are considered to be under-funded and suffer from deep-rooted institutional deficiencies. According to the survey conducted by Pulse Asia and Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer in the year 2010-2011, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is identified as one of the government institutions that is considered as the most corrupt institution by Filipino respondents. Also, 32% of the surveyed households had contact with police during 2009 and offered some bribe (Transparency International, April 19, 2013).

According to Social Weather Stations (SWS), the Philippine National Police (PNP) garnered the highest percentage of 9% which is considered as ―very little‖ trust on the police authorities (SWS, National Survey on People’s level of trust in institutions, May 28-June 14, 2003). In addition, the PNP had already implemented the ―Pulis Magalang‖ Program and LOI Patnubay II which are implemented to improve the conveyance of police services to the public

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and to provide a mechanism to clean its ranks of undesirable and misfit personnel. Furthermore, the PNP program has a Police-Community Relations (PCR) which mandates the organization to achieve a harmonious relationship between the law enforcer and its society in order to achieve the program’s mission and vision. The relationship of the police and the community should be harmonious. The community relies to the police to provide safety and security; on the other hand, the police also rely to the community in giving their support and cooperation in order to have an effective rapport. The better police-community connection, the law enforcer will have enhanced understanding of the public’s concerns, specifically on crime-related matter. Thus, citizens will have the initiative and cooperation to report crimes that occur in their community, provide tips and intelligence to law enforcement, willingly serve as witnesses and participate in jury trials. As a result, police tend to become more proactive which leads to preventing crimes before it occurs or minimizing the impact to the community. A harmonious police-community relation prevents the stigma about the police in our country.

Poor relations between the police and the community will lead to having distrust, anger, and fear. Society may think that police are untrue and unjust. They might be blame for all the different crimes happening in our country and feel that they are not appreciated in doing their duties. A good dialogue between the police and the community helps each citizen to build trust with one another which is necesary for a long-term change.

According to the survey of the police and the community, the poor communication between them is considered to be the greatest problem. Police often say that language barrier, lack of connection and two-way communication, and misunderstanding of police practices are some of the main reasons of having a disharmonious relationship (Building Police Community Relations, 2010). According to Holgado (2008), the residents of Lucena City claims that they didn’t experienced any difficulty in the implementation of the PCR programs in Lucena City Police.

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This was evident through the data obtained on the enactment of PCR programs and the assessment that the Police Officers in Philippine National Police did their job well in their society.

A mutual relationship of trust between the police agencies and the communities is necessary to maintain public safety and effective police services. Police officials solely rely on the cooperation and support of the community members to provide precise information about a crime and to work with the police to help in providing solutions to different crime-related matters. In addition, the willingness of the community members to trust the police depends whether they believe that their actions reflect the community values and incorporate the principles of procedural justice and legitimacy (Holgado, 2008).

Recently, there are some incidents in our country which involve the use of police force and authority, as a result, citizens have questioned the legitimacy of police. In the United States, many cities have experienced large-scale demonstrations, protest marches, and riots in 2014 and 2015 over the perceptions of police delinquency and abuse of power. Thus, it is an imperative that improving the relationship of police agencies and local communities is a priority.

In line with the study, there are some significant reasons why the general image of the police is worth measuring. An understanding of the general image of the police among citizens provides a noteworthy indicator of support for the institution among its citizens. Understanding how the public views the law enforcers is a crucial first step in improving relationships between the police and societies. The gathered surveys are a prominent factor of the community policing procedures.

Moreover, the public image of the Philippine National Police can be described by producing measurements where agencies can identify whether the police image is improving or declining over a period of time. Also, whether they are given a higher or lower admiration by the citizens in the communities.

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Moreover, the general image of the Philippine National Police may affect the behavior of the public. These include supporting tax initiatives or referenda that are designed to enhance the resources of local police agencies and to participate in co-production activities like neighborhood watch. And to provide the police the information that are useful in solving crimes and in improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. A community with poor image of police will likely have less support and cooperation from the citizens. They might also file complaints, present civil suits, rebel against the police, and produce media problems. Indeed, the relationship between the public behaviors and the general image of the police is untested but definitely a feasible thesis.

In the Philippines, the police are severely under-funded and suffer from deep-rooted institutional deficiencies (Global Integrity 2010, US Department of State 2012). Both a 2011 national survey conducted by Pulse Asia and Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer in the year 2010-2011 identify the Philippine National Police (PNP) as one of the institutions perceived as the most corrupt by Filipino respondents which affect the public’s perception towards the police. Close to one-third (32 per cent) of the surveyed households who had contact with the police in 2009 reported having paid a bribe. (Transparency International, April 19, 2013).

According to the Social Weather Stations (SWS), the Philippine National Police (PNP) got (9%) considered as ―very little‖ trust on the police agency (SWS, National Survey on People’s level of trust in institutions, May 28-June 14, 2003). To improve its image, the PNP has long implemented the Police Community Relations program which aims to improve the relations of the police and public and improve its image thus increasing civilian participation in crime prevention and policing. In addition, the PNP had also already implemented the "Pulis Magalang" Program and LOI Patnubay II, geared towards improving the delivery of police services to the public and providing mechanism to cleanse its ranks of undesirables and misfits.

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In line with the study, why is the ―general image‖ of police worth measuring? There are a number of important reasons. First, an understanding of the general image of the police among citizens provides an important indicator of support for the institution among its constituents. Understanding how the public views the police is a crucial first step in improving relationships between the police and communities. This is why community surveys are a prominent component of the community policing movement.

Similarly, measurements of the public image of the police can be compared. By producing such measures, agencies can learn whether their image is improving or declining over time, or whether they are held in higher or lower esteem by their citizens than police in other communities. And second, the general image of the police may affect the sorts of behaviors by the public that greatly interest the police. These include supporting tax initiatives or referenda designed to enhance the resources of local police agencies, to participate in coproduction activities like neighborhood watch, and providing the police with information useful to solving crime or improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. Communities with a poor image of the police will be less likely to support and help the police do their jobs, and more likely to file complaints, launch civil suits, rebel against the police, and produce media problems. Whether there is indeed a strong relationship between these public behaviors and the overall image of the police is an untested, but certainly plausible, thesis (Gallagher, C. et al, 2001).

When citizens trust the police, they are more likely to perceive police authority as legitimate, and thus more likely to cooperate with authorities and comply with the law. Trust in police is linked to the ability of police officers to provide basic citizen security (Goldsmith, 2003). In line with this, the factors that promote or inhibit citizen’s trust in the police warrant additional study.

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Review of Related Literature

Under Republic Act 8551, otherwise known as the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, the PNP was envisioned to be a community and service-oriented agency responsible for the maintenance of peace and order and public safety.

According to Jacob (2011), the Philippine National Police (PNP) is continuing efforts to improve delivery of basic police services through a more effective crime prevention program anchored upon police community relationships, hence, will more likely to reveal how responsive the two-way communication between the police and the community could be firmly established with the end on view of attaining better peace and order situation in communities and several programs had been implemented by the PNP wherein the enhancement of police community partnership is the one major concern emphasized to bring closer to the community. St. Thomas Aquinas stated that, ―Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace, but it is work of charity, according to its very notion, cause peace‖ (Saint Quotes of Peace, n.d.). Articles, literature and reading materials about police, police organizations and law enforcement and the Philippine National Police itself, their works, functions and responsibilities are numerous. They are useful in illustrating the police's main functions and strategies they undergo to enhance its system and procedures. Several aspects of the police force are dealt with and will shed relevance to the problem at hand.

Police Administration has been as the management of police organization, which is all about the work of the police officer or the utilization of talents to coordinate an effort and manage resources for the achievement of police organizational goals. Considering that a police organization as the primary responsibilities of the police administrators making it as the primary responsibilities in applying their individual initiative and skills necessary for the performance of the actual police roles and responsibilities (Breva Jr., n.d),

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From the establishment of the PNP, police work has become a high profile, professional, round-clock public service. Its major mandate of peace and order is a basic requirement for the Philippine’s sustainable development. As stated in Section 4, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines provides that,

The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessing of demog...