By: Jel Santos
The Eastern Police District (EPD) deploys today 52 women to the complaints desks of precincts in the cities of Pasig, San Juan, Mandaluyong, and Marikina.
Usually, male cops are the ones manning complaints desks.
Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, EPD director, said that the move to deploy women cops to complaints desks is part of their internal cleansing efforts, saying he thinks women will be more effective desk officers.
“I noticed that female employees private companies were the ones manning their desks. This made me realize that women are more approachable than men,” he said in Filipino.
“I want complaints desks in EPD to become presentable, and personnel to be welcoming. I want the macho image of policemen to be removed,” Sapitula said.
The EPD director said that the 52 policewomen underwent a seminar on police service and personality development, saying he wants to assure they will be effective.
“Professor Mel Garcia of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) trained the 52 policewomen on how they should treat people. They were taught about police service and personality development,” he said.
He also revealed that a second batch will be trained too.
To ensure the policewomen will function well, Sapitula said, they will be monitored and will be subjected to constant surprise visits.
“They will be subjected to surprise visits. All they have to do is to be nice and approachable to all,” he said.
“If we find them arrogant or their performance unsatisfying, they have to explain their attitudes. We expect them to be nice and friendly at all times,” he added.
There are 26 precincts in the four police stations of EPD.
According to the EPD director, the morning shift of the desks will be manned by women. Meanwhile, the night shift will be under male cops.
Sapitula said he is eyeing to place more female cops, saying a second batch of policewomen will be trained.
