Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday told policemen to work harder so they can improve the public’s negative perception towards the Philippine National Police (PNP).

During the 119th Police Service Anniversary, Año said sometimes people can easily see wrongdoings of law enforcers rather than their good deeds.

“Sometimes, their attention are on small mistakes and forget to praise and give honor to good deeds,” he said.

Año said these small mistakes can easily be shared in social media platforms.

“Information can easily spread on social media, especially the judgement of people. Thus, we are here to work even harder to alter this perception and improve the image on all our personnel,” Año said.

Año urged the PNP to continue its internal cleansing program to “weed out misfits” police officials.

"Let’s continue to prioritize the internal cleansing program within our ranks. Let us weed out misfits who continue to tarnish the reputation of our beloved institution," he said.

"Our efforts are already gaining momentum and we will not stop until every scalawag is removed from our ranks. Hence, we must be unyielding in our internal cleansing drive and by employing measures that beef up our character and caliber, we will be able to build a reputable and formidable police force trusted and well-respected by the Filipino people," he added.

For his part, PNP chief General Archie Gamboa said the police force implemented its revitalized internal cleansing program to restore the image of the police organization.

“We set sail in restoring the image of the PNP into one that would portray the police officer as a trustworthy and respectable public servant in the eyes of the people,” Gamboa said.

He said the program uses a holistic approach that covers punitive, restorative, and preventive strategies that aim to discipline, correct, and set an example to the police force. Ella Dionisio/DMS