INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES - PROFESSIONALISM AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Interactive Activity No. 1 - Role Playing
Interactivity No. 1 - Role Playing (Indecent Proposal)
INDECENT PROPOSAL
PMAJ ROMUALDO AKIM’s cellphone was ringing persistently as he was shaving
his face one morning. The unexpected early morning call caused a gash on the left side
of his face, near the chin.
Looking at the caller’s name, he saw that it was a call from PLT LAPUT, one of
his trusted men.
“Sir, PSSG Figueroa has been brought to the hospital. Somebody shot him while
he was patrolling the street along the public market. I heard that he is in bad shape,”
said the caller at the other end of the line.
PMAJ AKIM tried to remain calm as he took in the bad news.
“Do we have suspects? How about witnesses?” he asked without emotion, being
the seasoned policeman that he is.
“Witnesses are pointing to the Alonto brothers, Sir.”
PMAJ AKIM, the Talipao Chief of Police in Sulu, remembers that morning vividly.
Seated now in his office two weeks after the incident, PSSG Figueroa’s attackers have
yet to be brought to justice despite his orders for a relentless pursuit of the suspects.
For one, eyewitnesses have refused to come out openly, making it difficult for
them to pin down the Alonto brothers who come from a rich and politically influential
family in Sulu. Second, even if somebody had the courage and evidence to incriminate
the two, the Alonto family will surely do everything to keep their rogue scions out of
prison. Furthermore, anyone who dares to stand up against them will surely suffer
because they have been known to take revenge against anyone who dared to cross
their path. As if these factors are not enough, two other Alontos sit as Sangguniang
Bayan members in the municipal council. Meanwhile, PSSG Figueroa, a good Christian
policeman who is a newly assigned cop in a predominantly Muslim province in the
ARMM has been lying comatose in a government hospital, his family watching over him,
waiting for any sign of hope. Funds were running low. The injured policeman’s two
children had to stop schooling.
Seeing how helpless and hopeless the situation was, PMAJ AKIM decided to
bring the matter to the Provincial Director, PCOL IBRAHIM. He prepared a full report on
the incident, expecting that the matter would make the Provincial Director feel as
indignant as he was over the injustice done to one of their men. PMAJ AKIM did not
expect the Provincial Director’s actions as he presented him the report. He simply
leafed through it, looked at PMAJ AKIM in the eye and issued him a warning.
“You can’t expect me to endorse your complaint against the Alontos. Surely, you
know better than that. Patay tayo sa mga kamaganak at kaalyado nila sa gobyerno
[We’re deadmeat considering their relatives and allies in government]. We don’t stand a
chance. If you want, I can get in touch with them. Pag-usapan na lang natin ito [We’ll
just have to talk about it],” said the Director nonchalantly.
PMAJ AKIM was aghast at the suggestion. His face was pale and his whole body
was shaking with unreleased anger as he left the Director’s room. He vowed to pursue
the case as thoughts of PSSG Figueroa and his family came to mind.
A day after the meeting with the Provincial Director, PMAJ AKIM got an
unexpected visit from Councilor Hashim Alonto. The tall and dignified-looking Muslim
Councilor was accompanied by two other members of the Sangguniang Bayan. They
were all wearing caps, proof of their high stature in Muslim society. “As-sallamu
aleykum!” they said to him in greeting. “Peace be unto you!”
Without much ado, Councilor Alonto confronted the PMAJ about his nephews’
pending case of attempted murder.
“Brother, I heard that you are filing a case against my nephews. Do you have
witnesses and evidences to prove their guilt? I am warning you of the consequences of
your action,” he threatened. The Councilor’s companions nodded in agreement to his
statements.
“Look, we are brothers. Don’t tell me that you will take the side of a Christian
rookie policeman. Have you investigated well? He may have provoked my nephews to
warrant that action from them. We are a prominent family here and we will not do
anything to stain our family name.”
“With due respect, Sir, this is not a matter of religion or status in society. One of
my men is lying comatose and helpless in a hospital. Nobody knows if he will survive.
Our investigation reveals that he was just patrolling the streets the day he was shot by
your nephews. Paltik nga lang ang dalang baril ng tao [Even his gun was a fake]. And
he did nothing to provoke your nephews as you claim. He is a good man. Now, his
family is going hungry, Sir.”
The three Councilors looked at each other meaningfully. The two other councilors
nodded at Councilor Alonto, as if in silent agreement with something that he had yet to
utter.
“Ah, then, let me help the family instead. If it is money you need, I will give it to
you in exchange for the dropping of the case against my nephews. Get some fall guy
instead.”
PMAJ AKIM was not prepared for this blatantly indecent proposition from the
councilor.
“Is half a million enough?” Councilor Alonto asked.
PMAJ AKIM let out a heavy sigh. If he pursued the case against the Alontos, he
would be in hot water for the rest of his life. Worse, he knew that his higher-ups would
never support him. But what about the fallen policeman and his family? Getting money
from Councilor Alonto in exchange for the dropping of charges against the suspects was
tantamount to betrayal of trust. The amount, though, would surely be of big help to
PSSG Figueroa’s family. Where does loyalty to his religion and brothers in faith end and
where does loyalty to his mission as a public safety officer begin?
PMAJ AKIM has to make a decision. And his decision is ……..
Instructions:
1. Group yourself into 10 with 5 members each.
2. Read and discuss the case titled: Indecent Proposal
3. Prepare a 7-10 minutes Role Playing Presentation on the action that will solve
the problem of P/MAJ AKIM.
Interactive Activity No. 2 – Group Reflection
1. Group yourself into 10 with 5 members each group.
2. Select a member from each group who will act as a Group Leader and a Secretary
who will take down notes.
3. Discuss/Reflect within your group a situation in your work as a Police Officer wherein
your professionalism and accountability has been exemplified (or failed to exemplify).
Discuss within your group, the lessons and values you’ve learned about it.
4. Choose one story to discuss in class for others to learn and reflect about it.
Interactive Activity No. 3 - Case Study Discussion
Is this the right thing to do?
“There is always the temptation to get money out of the blue. This means you
have to make diskarte. For example, we get money from illegal logging. Or part of the
drug money that is supposed to be shown as evidence, for instance in a buy-bust
operation. What you do is recycle the documents to make it appear legal. Everybody
plays blind, anyway. We have to do it because where else would we get money for our
operations? For gasoline? What if a member of my team needs hospitalization or
medicines because of he got injured in the line of duty? We cannot use our personal
money. Kulang pa nga para sa pamilya, e. And there are police officers who make
diskarte for their own personal needs, like they want to buy the best firearm available in
the market to match the hi-tech firearms of criminals. If you think about it, there are still
policemen out there who have no firearms at all or, if they have, no money to buy
bullets. So what you do is mangupit na lang ng pera. If you do not do it, how can you
perform your tasks as a policeman?”
Instructions:
1. Group yourself into 10 with 5 members each group.
2. Select a member from each group who will act as a Group Leader and a
Secretary who will take down notes.
3. Discuss the case presented, titled: Is this the right thing to do?
4. Write a Reaction Paper on the case presented, Is this the right thing to do?
(Font: Arial, Font Size = 12, single space between lines, double space between
paragraphs)
5. Submit your Reaction Paper on October 21, 2024 thru email add:
[Link]@[Link] (Note: Submission will be done thru Zip by your President
or Secretary, individual submission will not be accepted)
