Tourist cops out to regain confidence in PNP?

Riding on the relative success of attention-grabbing gimmickry – attendants sashaying to pop music during flight safety demos, lady traffic enforcers directing traffic on busy highways, dancing tax collectors and dancing inmates, among others – the Philippine National Police (PNP) has created “tourist cops." But more than just enhancing public relations, the PNP created the special team to win back the trust and confidence of tourists that have been slipping away after the August 23 Manila hostage crisis that killed eight visitors from Hong Kong. The international condemnation that rocked the PNP had prompted it to create a team of police officers, whose male and female members are specifically tasked to patrol the busy streets in Metro Manila's tourist spots and ensure travelers and tourists would be out of harm's way at all times.

AT YOUR SERVICE. Welcome the PNP's tourist cops, ensuring safety of travelers going in and out of tourist spots in the Metro. Mark Adrian

The PNP’s program "Bantay Turista" aims to regain the public's trust in cops, amid harsh criticisms the police institution has earned for its alleged lackluster performance that led to the August hostage tragedy in Luneta. PO1 Vanessa Camisera, a tourist cop in San Juan City, said throwing in female law enforcers into the team makes the police program even more open to people. "Mas nilalapitan nila ang female kasi mas approachable kapag girls at mas madaling kausap (Female law enforcers like me are more approachable and people usually do not have any problems talking with us)," she told GMANews.TV in an interview. But she said having female cops in the team does not diminish the sense of security the police provide to both local and foreign tourists in the country. "Mas safe kapag may nakikita silang police. They feel better daw when they see us," said Camisera, who used to be an accountant before joining the police service in July 2009. She was working under the Metro Manila Police's Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) in Taguig City when she and around 200 colleagues were plucked out of the office, and deployed as tourist cops in late August. She admitted enjoying her new job more than just being inside their office at the National Capital Region Police Office at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. "Mas marami kaming nakakausap at mas nau-utilize kami at mas marami kaming natutunan (We get to interact with more people outside and our skils get more utilized and we learn more)," she said. From giving directions to wandering tourists to shooing away beggars on the streets, Camisera admitted their functions as tourist police officers are as wide-ranging as the tourists they encounter. Her team also deals with sidewalk vendors – who are common in busy and crowded spots in the Metro Manila, and even people who make out or make love in parking lots. "Isa iyan sa pinakamadalas na problemang nakikita namin (That's so far the most common case we encounter in our job)," a chuckling Camisera said. Being an accountant graduate, who aspires to study law in the near future, Camisera also said conversing with tourists in English comes to her naturally. According to newly-installed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) head Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, the tourist cops program is still part of the PNP's effort in "making police services more accessible to foreigners and helping make Metro Manila tourist-friendly." "This is like a mobile version of the PNP Quality Service Lane," said Bartolome. The NCRPO deploys tourist cops in Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, and Manila. Meant only as augmentation forces, the tourist cops should not be mistaken for replacement of the current roster of the respective city police officers already roaming the streets of Metro Manila. Camisera said they are still under the local city police, with which they coordinate whenever they detect criminal incidents in the areas they are monitoring. According to her, their duty starts with a roll call at the NCRPO headquarters. From there, they board six-by-six trucks, which would drop them off to their respective "beat patrol" assignments. Since the program started two months ago, Camisera had been assigned at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex, near the Seaside – a stretch of sidewalk along the Manila Bay, which used to be teeming with restaurants and bars. "Pinapaalis talaga namin kapag maraming pulubi o kaya naman prostitute (We really drive away beggars and prostitutes in the area)," she said. It was only this Friday that she has been re-assigned to San Juan City, at the busy shopping center in Greenhills. She said they underwent a refresher course for the tourist cops program, which include proper handcuffing, firing, and rifle handling. MIB: Men in bikes Meanwhile, the Quezon City Police District last week has already taken the lead in deploying its own tourist cops, who, shall we say, are more fashionable and cool-looking, darting on the streets on mountain bikes and clad in a sporty attire of blue police shirts and short pants, complete with shades and helmets. The PNP has been regarded as resourceful and creative when it comes to laying out its police programs. Shattering the traditional image of stiff-looking, serious grumpy policemen, the PNP has been known to deploy "Santa cops" during the Christmas holidays. But for Camisera and her team (composed of four women and seven men), they chose to go traditional as tourist cops, wearing only regular police uniforms, but still armed with basic law enforcement weapons: guns, handcuffs, and pro-batons (an upgraded version of the typical baton, made from metal and covered with rubber). They either get tagged along city police mobile cars or patrol their beats on foot. Ever-changing work shifts But Camisera's new field assignment is not all glory and public pride, adding that sacrifices also had to be made. If there's one thing that she finds hardest to adjust to, it's the ever-changing work shifts. The tourists policemen have two 12-hour shifts to ensure that tourists spots are patrolled 24 hours a day. Shifts start either at 6 a.m., 8 a.m., or 10 a.m. "Ang body clock namin nasisira. Mahirap talaga ang shifting (Our body clock gets disrupted. The shifts are really a pain for us)," she said. On Friday, her shift started at 8 a.m. but the very next day, her schedule changed to 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. She said some of her female colleagues who are married and have children also struggle to keep up with family matters amid the irregular work schedule. "Kawawa ang mga anak nila. Wala sila madalas mapag-iwanan (Their children are pitiful. My colleagues most of the time can't find anyone who would take care of their children while they are away)," she said. Despite the drawbacks of her current job, Camisera said her enthusiasm for it has never faltered one bit ever since she started. "Kung gusto mo naman ang job mo walang mahirap [Nothing is too hard when you love your job]," Camisera said. — LBG, GMANews.TV