PNP, church groups sign MOU to address cops’ psycho-spiritual needs

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and several church groups on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide the psycho-spiritual needs of cops, the police organization said Tuesday.

In line with this, the PNP said in a statement that its Chaplain Service launched the e-Gabay program, which aims to build a “helping relationship” between life coaches and police personnel.

PNP personnel who need psycho-spiritual and therapeutic conversation as well as counseling may contact the numbers in posters that will be put up in the organization's facilities, stations, and offices nationwide.

The MOU of “Ugnayan ng Simbahan at Pulisya” (USAP) was signed by the PNP and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Imam Council of the Philippines, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.

According to PNP, the MOU aims to improve the collaboration with church groups to achieve its charter statement that all personnel shall be God-centered, service-oriented, and family-based public servants.

PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said their intensified cleanliness policy also includes giving importance to the moral and spiritual capacity of cops.

“One of the core values of the PNP is "Makadiyos", which manifests our strong will to communicate with God and live by his teachings and to actualize His wisdom in the everyday fulfillment of our job as police officers and public servants," Eleazar said.

"Aside from enhancing equipage, training, shelter and salary increase, part of our morale and welfare enhancement is to uplift the spiritual and morale capability of our personnel and their dependents", he added.

The signing ceremony was attended by Eleazar and other PNP officials as well as representatives from the church groups.

These are the e-Gabay hotline numbers that the PNP personnel may call:

• 09178551916
• 09177099810
• 09173171244
• 09176553986
• 09176352197
• 09175229316
• 09065110300
• 09778398315
• 09564302234

—Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News