Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies

A.H. Banzon St., Ibayo City of Balanga

CASE STUDY ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF POLICE OFFICERS AS

FRONT-LINERS AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC; A WORK-RELATED ANALYSIS

A Thesis Proposal

 Presented to the Faculty of Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies

 In Partial Fulfillment of the 

Requirements for the Degree

 Bachelor of Science in Criminology Administration

BY

CARLOS MIGUEL M. EULEN

AL KEVIN JAY E. GEÑEGA

 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Work Strain or mostly classify as job strain is a form of psychosocial stress that

occurs in the workplace. One of the most common job strains as a police officer is

family sickness due to their far designation and their working environment. Away from

their family and concerned about the health of every member of his or her family.

The role of police officers as frontliners in the COVID 19 pandemic is not a

regular routine they are doing, it is more tiring one, consecutive sleepless nights and

another fear of battling the war wherein the perpetrator cannot be perceived through

naked eye. Manning the posts, checkpoints, rendering restless service to the

community and continuously reminding the people to stay home in order for their lives to

be safe as well as their family. In the field such as checkpoints, they secure the lives of

every individual in any point of the country, checking the temperature and identifying the

place of origin of people. Every entrance and exit of every municipality has an assigned

PNP personnel to serve the needs of the community and additionally apprehend every

person that violates the rules or policy in COVID-19 pandemic.

Many police officers are suffering in too much thinking due to this COVID-19

pandemic. As a criminology student it is interesting for us to know what is the cause

and effect of psychological stress and how to prevent it. The main problem of this study
is the possible psychological stress experienced by the members of Philippine National

Police on their duty as a frontliners in this COVID-19 pandemic especially in Balanga

City, Bataan

Stress is a general rubric used to describe physiological change or impact

brought about by environmental stimuli and psychological mediation (Semmer et al.,

2004; Levi, 2004; McEwen, 1998; Webster, 2014). Stress is a biosocial process, where

environmental stimuli place an undue strain on an organism (Theorell, 2004). Police

work involves stressful demands such as dealing with human misery, abused children,

and instantaneous life or death decisions. Additionally, the burden of societal

responsibility and strict legal norms are placed on officers as they deal with these

Sources of stress in policing may be classified into two general categories

(Shane, 2010): those arising from “job content” which include work schedules, shift

work, long-work hours, overtime and court work, and traumatic events and threats to

physical and psychological health; and those arising from “job context” also called

organizational stressors, which refer to characteristics of the organization and behavior

of the people that produce stress (e.g. bureaucracy and co-worker relations). These

sources of stress often come with a price. Exposure to human suffering and death may

also result in a negative view of life, as well as psychological effects such as post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), depression,

and suicide ideation (McCanlies, Miller, Andrew, Wirth, Burchfiel, and Violanti, 2014;

Austin-Ketch et al., 2012; Violanti et al., 2009; Ma et al., 2015). Rotating shifts often
lead to inadequate sleep for officers which lowers physiological resistance to stress

(Baughman et al., 2014; Bond et al., 2013). Family life may be disrupted by shift work

schedules, working holidays, and strained relationships (Kirschman et al., 2014; Torres

et al., 2003). One can add to this array of occupational exposures the recent negative

public image that police face, resulting in public loss of confidence in police integrity

(President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015).

In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of

a new virus called Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), to be a Public Health Emergency

of International Concern. WHO stated that there is a high risk of COVID-19 spreading to

other countries around the world. In March 2020, WHO made the assessment that

COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. WHO and public health authorities

around the world are acting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.  However, this time of

crisis is generating stress throughout the population. WHO and the Department

of Mental Health created a series of messages that can be used in communications to

support mental and psychosocial well-being in different countries during the outbreak.

The COVID-19 or the new Corona Virus is different from any other. In this virus

we have an enemy which is invisible and sometimes deadly, and the task is harder.

Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms

and recover without special treatment. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly

transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or

exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or
surfaces. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity

of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and you

immediately touch your body parts such as eyes, nose, and mouth without practicing

the proper way of washing your hands.

On March 16, 2020, the Government of the Philippines under President Duterte

administration imposed an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon (including

its associated islands), which is effectively a total lockdown, restricting the movement of

the population except for essential work, and health circumstances, in response to the

increasing number of confirmed cases in the country. Additional lockdown restrictions

mandated the temporary closure of non-essential shops and businesses. The ECQ

came in after two days of the implementation of community quarantine in Metro Manila. 

The implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine results in Government

designation of different assignments to several officers as Front Liners such as Police

officer to control the checkpoints and the Local Government Units (LGUs) officials to

maintain strict lockdown in every barangay.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The job of being a police officer consists in part of being a witness to almost

every form of human behavior. Police officers witness the worst and the best aspects of

humanity. The stress that police officers are subjected to as part of their job has made

the occupation of law enforcement one of the most stressful in the world. Police job

stress has been shown to affect the quality of life for police officers and their families. As

police departments become more diverse, research on the effects of stress on minority

officers is needed to determine if current officer stress reduction programs are adequate

to address the needs of a changing workforce. By gaining a better understanding of how

stress affects law enforcement personnel, public administrators will be able to manage

their work forces more effectively. In addition, public administrators may be able to

utilize the information gathered to help facilitate a smoother transition from their current

organizational demographic makeup to a demographic makeup that is reflective of the

communities they serve. 

In addition to the work of police officers today, their obligation to serve and

protect the people of the Philippines becomes more demanding as months go by due to

the pandemic Corona Virus. As part of what the pandemic brought us today is the

untiring duty of those officers in blue uniform. 

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new

strain of virus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in

Wuhan, China in December 2019.On 30 th of January 2020, the Philippine Department of

Health reported the first case of COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female
Chinese national. On 7th of March, the first local transmission of COVID-19 was

confirmed. The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with the

Department of Health in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19

Pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that brings with it a lot of problems, especially for

the poor and marginalized sectors of our society. Those who have the least financial

and other means have the hardest time dealing with the pandemic’s impacts on health,

health services, loss of income, limited mobility, and other struggles. This crisis is

challenging us, as a human, to bring about an increased sense of our humanity,

community, and compassion.

With the enforcement of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine,

communities are struggling to find their next meals, due either to loss of income or

access to food sources, or a combination of both. But some chefs and other concerned

citizens have set up various community kitchens and food programs to try and ease a

bit of the burden even amidst this Pandemic. Nurses, Doctors and other Health

Workers, Police and Military Peace Enforcers, Sanitation Workers, Researchers and

other Front liners are being assisted with crowd-sourced food, temporary housing, face

masks, alcohol, sanitizers and other dwindling resources that they require to be able to

continue doing very important work for the people.

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

pandemic has profound psychological and social effects to the Police Frontliners. The

psychological sequelae of the pandemic will probably persist for months and years to
come. This study indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress,

anxiety, fear of contagion, depression, and insomnia in the general population and

among healthcare professional. As a new day rises, coronavirus is continuously

affecting every aspect of human life. We are given such laws that help reduce risk of

people having symptoms of coronavirus. Law enforcement agencies play an important

role in enforcing new health and social regulations while guaranteeing society can still

function in a civil manner.

Several Police enforcers are being deployed in every area to make sure that

people are following strict guidelines of the upper hands. They are mainly the one to

assist in containing the virus. Our Policemen are asked to extend their range of duties

into our everyday activities. And as a result, it causes fear and anxiety to our uniformed

men for they have to fight unseen enemies. It is sickening to know that Frontliners are

the ones with high risk of getting the virus. And as result, our Policemen are getting

scared and worried about what may happen to their own health.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The present investigation is an attempt to determine the psychological health

issues that police officers as front liner for covid-19 pandemic are facing.   It specifically

aims to answer the following questions:

1. How may the demographic profile of the respondents be described in terms

of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

1.3 Rank

1.4 Salary

2.) How may the work of police officers be described in terms of:

2.1 Job Description

2.1.1 Duty Hours

2.1.2 Work Environment

2.2 Support System

2.2.1 Family

2.2 Community

2.2.3 Government

2.2.4 Colleague

2.2.5 Philippine National Police

3) What is the effect of the work of police officers on their psychological health

during this Covid19 pandemic in terms of:

3.1 Type of psychological stress

3.2 Signs and symptoms           

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of the study will be a great benefit to the following:

Police officer- The results will give the Police Officers with some knowledge on how to

handle and maintain their health psychologically.  It will give the Police that depression

and anxiety are not useful to both the Police Officer and the people around him. At the

end of this study Police Officer’s would finally know why they need to protect

themselves while fighting against COVID-19 pandemic.

 Filipino Community: The results will give the Filipino citizen that they need to obey the

protocols that the Government implemented during this COVID-19 pandemic. It will give

the Filipino citizen a realization that if they disobey the protocols there might be a

tendency which may affect the Psychological health of Police Officers as Front liners.

Government officials- The results will give the Government an acknowledgement in

having a productive policy in implementing rules and regulations in the country and

reliable in spreading information and news about the country. So that police officers are

less worried about the policy that is implied by the government. 

Local Government of Bataan-  The results will give the Local Government Unit of

Bataan an idea in supporting  and helping the police officer’s mental health while  they

are  responsible for their duties as a front liners to their respective designation this

COVID-19 pandemic.

 Students- The results will give the students in Balanga that if they obey the policy in

this pandemic by avoiding going to public place instead by focusing to their online class

is a big help to a police officers because are not worry about apprehending students

especially for the minors that are below 21 not are not prohibited to go in public place in

Balanga.

Scope and delimitation:

The general intent of this study is to analyze the psychological health of the

police officers in relation to their work this time of pandemic. The study is limited to the

perception and experiences identified by the law enforcement officers, local government

officials, family and the community. 

The study is also limited in a sense, as to methodology since the research will

utilize a qualitative approach to gather in depth information about the phenomenon. 

The time frame of the study is also considered since it is made in a time that the

government is in a serious mode to prevent the escalation of COvid19 Pandemic in

Balanga City, Bataan. 

Definition of terms:

1. Duty Hours- The normal and common duty of a Police Officer is 8-12 hours or

extended time. 8am to 8pm/ 12 hours shifting duty but 24 hours in general

principle especially in this kind of pandemic. More stressful than previous normal

days because of COVID19 that can affect the mental health of a Police Officer.

2. Working Environment- Every rank in the PNP that is in duty either in the field,

office or in precinct are dangerous in their physical and mental health

3. Fear of Being Infected- Having a fear of a police officer of being infected by this

COVID19 virus due to their duties as a front liners especially those assigned in

control points can have a mental illness such as anxiety or too much thinking and

a feeling of worry.

4. Cooperation of the Public-By the cooperation of the public by obeying the rules

and regulations in this Covid19 to secure themselves in infecting and spreading

the virus police officers are courageous to duty and perform their task. 

5.  Family Support- By motivating every police officer from their family every single

moment helps to avoid mental illness and  builds inner strength every duty of a

police officer. 

6. Government's Support- PNP Chief, Police General Archie Francisco F Gamboa

instructed the Administrative Support to COVID-19 Operations Task Force

( ASCOTF) under PLTGEN Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, The Deputy Chief for

Administration (TDCA) to organize an auxiliary corps of police psychologists

 under the supervision of the PNP Health Service to sufficiently address the

anticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the physical and mental health

of PNP personnel particularly those assigned to frontline duties.

7. Rank-  Police General, Police Lieutenant General, Police Major General, Police

Brigadier General, Police Colonel, Police Lieutenant Colonel, Police Major,

Police Captain, Police Lieutenant, Police Executive Master Sergeant, Police

Chief Master Sergeant, Police Senior Master Sergeant, Police Master Sergeant,

Police Staff Sergeant, Police Corporal, Patrolman/Patrolwoman 

8. Designation- Higher ranks in PNP are responsible for implementing rules and

regulations and making a protocol about the safety measures of the organization

including the mental health of every police officer. And the whole member of

Philippine National Police is taking more stringent actions to prevent the spread

of COVID-19 among police personnel especially those assigned to frontline

duties in quarantine control points. 

9. Psychological Factor- it refers to the working of mind or psyche; motivation,

learning, socialization, attitudes and beliefs 

10. Depression- is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and

loss of interest 

11. Anxiety- a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent

event or something with an uncertain outcome.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES 

This Chapter presents the related literature and studies from different

Authoritative sources serve to determine “what is known about the study” and to

determine “what is yet to be known”. 

LOCAL LITERATURE

           In the Philippines, work-related stress has received very minimal attention. There

are only a few studies related to stress being done. As a future administrator, it is

important to look at specific areas and to investigate those issues affecting our staff and

our patients as well in the organization. Thus, this study determined the most prevalent

work-related stressors and the level of stress utilized by nurses working in selected

public and private hospitals in Metro Manila. Nurses’ awareness about the different

types of work-related stressors will help them in taking the first step to manage or

handle even before they encounter it. This can provide the basis for the administration

in designing an evidenced-based stress management program to develop a healthy and

competent nurse. 

The importance of managing stress and prevention of uncontrolled emotions that

can be caused by the death of a law enforcement officer can be sufficient by the

solution of this study. Stress affects everyone, yet few people understand what causes

it, how it develops, how it affects their bodies, and how they can be more effective in

managing their stress. When stress is unrelenting and out of control, it is a villain that
causes unhappiness, sickness, and even death (Lau, 2013). While great progress has

been made over the years in the study and treatment of law enforcement stress, this

progress has been running equally strong with increased pressures placed on police

officers (Loose, 2009).

While police officers will experience various kinds of stress, alike other workers,

such as fire fighters, nurses, etc., they are likely to experience a different type of stress

called critical incident stress or CIS (Del Rosario, 2009). It is very important that the

resources be both sensitive to the needs of the affected police officers. From an

individual’s perspective it has been said that stress-related problems can be prevented

in basically two ways: a) by eliminating the source(s) of the stress and (2) by learning

how to deal with stressful conditions before they lead to problems (Mallucio, 2007).

Every human being encounters stress in one or other way, sometimes it

reinforces people to achieve their goals and for some people it makes them to damage

their life. Hence, stress is quite unavoidable in nature for every individual for some time

or the other. Nowadays most of the organization’s major concern is to manage the

stress level of their employees in order to run their business efficiently. Most of the

service sectors are people centric. Stress level will be more in this sector as it deals with

services to diverse people, one such department is law enforcement department, i.e.,

police department. Policing has long been considered as one of the most stressful

occupations (Gershon, Lin & Li, 2002; Marmar et al., 2006). The main aim of the

present study is to examine the stress related issues to the police personnel, viz.,
sources of stress, symptoms and coping strategies available to reduce the stress levels

based on the earlier research studies. The concept of stress has been discussed

comprehensively, highlighting the major definitions, basic concepts, stress among police

and its impact in general .and internal and external sources of stress. 

FOREIGN LITERATURE

Stress has become a common phenomenon of our daily work life. It is a strong

predictor of various personal and work-related outcomes, In the Encyclopedia of Stress,

Flick (2000) defines stress as "real or an interpreted threat to physiological

psychological integrity of an individual that results in physiological and/or behavioral

response." It is a response to challenging events, as an event that places demand on

the individual, an environmental characteristic which poses a threat to the individual,

and a realization by the individual that he/she is unable to deal adequately with the

demands placed upon him/her. In this foreign literature it deals with the psychological

stress due to the kind of job, if the job is full of challenging events the more possibility of

more chance to have a psychological disorder.

Several longitudinal studies reported significant relationships between traumatic

incidents experienced at work and PTSD in police officers (Huddleston et al., 2007;

Stephens and Miller, 1998; Maguen et al., 2009) (Table I). Huddleston et al. (2007)

found that police recruits who had experienced one or more on-duty traumatic events

had mean impact of event scale scores 64 percent higher than recruits who had

experienced no on-duty traumatic events. Robinson et al. (1997) found that any
encounter with death was the strongest predictor for total PTSD symptomatology

among US police officers. Trauma experienced on-duty as a police officer was shown to

be more strongly related to PTSD symptoms than trauma experienced while off-duty

(Stephens and Miller, 1998). Also, in a case-control study of officers with and without

PTSD symptoms, trauma severity was the only predictor of PTSD symptoms (Carlier et

al., 199)

  Work-related stress became an increasing global problem affecting all categories

of workers including healthcare professionals. The World Health Organization reported

that stress, especially related to work, is currently the second most frequent health

problem and is a significant problem of our times. Several studies revealed that nurses

are under greatest work stress and highest physical, psychological, and emotional

strain. This study also examined relationships between work-related stressors and

selected socio-demographic factors. It utilized the Modified Expanded Nurses Stress

Scale (ENSS). A descriptive-correlation and cross-sectional design were used. The

study was conducted by hospital staff nurses in a tertiary government and non-

government hospital in Metro Manila. The predominant work-related stressor that

occasionally occurs in the work setting was workload while discrimination stressors

never occur

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (2014) defined work stress

as harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when job requirements do not

match the worker's capabilities, resources, and needs. Nursing is recognized as a

stressful demanding occupation (Higgins, 2003; Zaghloul, 2008). Stress has been

observed among various professionals without exemption. Previous researches

reported that nurses, regardless of workplace or culture, are confronted with a variety of

stressors. Indeed, nursing is considered as the highest stressful job among 40 stressful

professions (Mozhdeh et al., 2007). The First Asia Health Survey in 2006 by Reader’s

Digest and Nielsen Media across seven Asian countries including the Philippines, found

out that Filipinos are the most stressed-out in which two out of five Filipinos (43%) are

affected by stress-related illness like hypertension. 

Psychological  distress  is  also an important factor among  caregivers  who are

parents to young  children, those with  elderly  parents or looking after elderly family

members, and  those  looking  after  the  ill.  As  COVID-19 appears  to  have  the  most 

impact  on  elderly  populations,  there  may  be  increased  fear  and  anxiety  among

caregivers  responsible  for  elderly  individuals.  The  fear and  anxiety  are  related  to

the possibility  of  infecting susceptible  individuals  like  the  elderly,  or  other  illnesses 

resulting  in  the  need  for  health  resources  for  these individuals. There is also fear

and anxiety when looking after young children or dependents. A previous study

assessing psychological distress during a disease epidemic in Australia identified that

families with one child had a 1.2 times higher risk of psychological distress than those

with no children (Taylor et al, 2008). These families were likely to be younger

families with younger parents. However, they also found that families with three or more

children appeared slightly protective for psychological distress (Taylor et al, 2008).

School and child care closures  and government  restrictions on  social  interactions 

impact  caregivers of  young  children,  which  may result in  decreased mental health in

caregivers  and children. In the United States, public schools are the largest provider of

mental health services to children (Stevenson et al.,  2009). The closing  of schools and 

mandatory social  distancing  will  disrupt  children’s  routines  and  potentially  increase 

stress  levels  within  the  family.  If a parent contracts the virus, there may likely be

parent-child separation which can lead to further anxiety and stress (Stevenson et al.,

2009). Children may experience the illness themselves or the loss of loved ones

and may find difficulty in coping with the grief if rituals such as funerals are prohibited

due to social distancing (Stevenson et al., 2009). Mental health preparedness should

include considerations for children, who are significantly impacted during and after

pandemic. .(Sritharan, Jeavana, and Sritharan, Ashvinie)

Every human being encounters stress in one or other way, sometimes it

reinforces people to achieve their goals and for some people it makes them to damage

their life. Hence, stress is quite unavoidable in nature for every individual for some time

or the other. Nowadays most of the organization’s major concern is to manage the

stress level of their employees in order to run their business efficiently. Most of the

service sectors are people centric. Stress level will be more in this sector as it deals with

services to the diverse people, one such department is the law enforcement

department, i.e., police department. Policing has long been considered as one of the

most stressful occupations (Gershon, Lin & Li, 2002; Marmar et al., 2006). The main

aim of the present study is to examine the stress related issues to the police personnel,

viz., sources of stress, symptoms and coping strategies available to reduce the stress

levels based on the earlier research studies. The concept of stress has been discussed

comprehensively, highlighting the major definitions, basic concepts, stress among police

and its impact in general .and internal and external sources of stress
LOCAL STUDIES

Freedom from discrimination, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights and echoed in the 1987 Constitution, states that all individuals are entitled to

human rights “regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political beliefs,

and any other status.” Anti-discriminatory provisions of statutory laws, including Article 9

of the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers, are in effect and not suspended even if

the country enshrouds in a state of emergency.

Cases of discrimination are piling up. A young utility worker at a hospital was

ganged up by five men and doused with bleach in Sultan Kudarat province (Dayupay,

2020). He suffered eye trauma and is at risk of permanent blindness. A few days later, a

51-year-old ambulance driver in Quezon province was injured after one civilian fired his

gun and accused him of transporting patient’s positive of COVID-19 (Bajo, 2020).

During that time, he was simply ferrying health workers to work. As a result, the driver,

also a breadwinner, suffers from hand disarticulation (ABS-CBN News, 2020). Back in

Manila, a supermarket security guard lost both her rented apartment and her job after a

thermal scan showed her temperature was more than 36 degrees Celsius (Ornedo,

2020). She went to a hospital and later found out that the thermal scanner displayed

inaccurate information.

Some COVID-19 patients and their kin are prone to violence caused by social

stigma. In Iloilo City, neighbors cast stones at a house of a family whose patriarch died
due to the virus. (Yap, 2020). The four infected family members are embroiled in a

hapless ‘new reality’ of neighbors turning their backs and shunning them. These horrific

incidents exponentially multiply along with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Despite a wave

of public support and donations such as food, face masks, Personal Protective

Equipment, synchronized songs boosting their morale, and the star-studded “thank

yous,” health workers and other front liners need social protection and redress during

these trying times. Social stigma and discrimination shackling their welfare can go even

after the final COVID-19 patient in the country discharges from the hospital.

The Philippine government needs to iron out urgent measures to protect the

rights of front liners and patients. As of this writing, Metro Manila mayors passed a

resolution urging local government units to penalize those discriminating front liners,

distressed Filipino migrants from COVID-19 affected countries, and patients (MMDA,

2020). On the other hand, the public must show benevolence and observe

precautionary measures without infringing on others’ freedoms (Strengthening Human

Rights and Peace Research in Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia)

The healthcare industry has been thrust into the forefront of a health crisis that

has brought even the most powerful governments to their knees: the Covid-19

respiratory disease. Bound by an oath to heal the sick, healthcare professionals spend

their days confronting a deadly and highly contagious illness while the rest of the world

watches, bunkered in their homes.

 In the Philippines, where Covid-19 infections have topped 3,600 and deaths have

reached 163 as of April 6, health workers who are already pouring their energy in the

fight against the virus must wrestle with yet another enemy: discrimination. In the chaos

of the Covid-19 crisis is born a fear that by being around healthcare personnel, one is

courting contagion. Self-preservation, the most basic of instincts, takes over, and little

else matters.

Consider, for instance, that on April 3, in the province of Quezon in Luzon, an

ambulance driver was shot for parking his vehicle in a residential area after transporting

medical personnel. The resident who put a bullet through his hand had accused him of

ferrying Covid-19 patients and endangering the lives of the people in the community.

Moreover, a nurse who contracted Covid-19 fears going back to his hometown in the

outskirts of the economic hub of Metro Manila after his neighbours had petitioned

against his return. As if this was not troubling enough, police confirmed that there had

been an attempt to burn down a quarantine facility in another town 30 minutes away

from his home. Lastly, on March 27, in the city of Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao, five men

doused a hospital utility worker with bleach on his way to work. He nearly lost his sight.

On the same day, 433 kilometers away, a motorcycle-riding tandem splattered chlorine

on a nurse who was on his way home from duty in Cebu City in the Visayas. The nurse

was fortunate to have only been splashed in the leg.

More insidious forms of harassment of healthcare personnel have also occurred.

In Iloilo City in the Visayas as well as in Metro Manila, health workers are being evicted

from their dormitories by landlords who see them as unwitting carriers of the disease.

Some supermarkets refuse to let them shop. Accounts of hospital staff being refused
service in eateries and prevented from using laundromats and public transport have

likewise made the news.

Yet, on social media, the adulation for health workers belies their present

realities. Netizens call them heroes. Pictures on Twitter and Instagram show hospital

staff being sent food every day by people who want to express their gratitude to them

for putting duty over self. It is easy to appreciate the sacrifice of healthcare personnel

while ensconced in a place that danger cannot reach. For those who live beside

hospitals, quarantine centers or a door or two away from health personnel – for those

who live in cramped houses and depressed areas where social distancing is an

incomprehensible concept and diseases spread like wildfire – the fear of contagion is

perhaps not as easy to shake off.

But discriminating against health workers exacts a hefty price that society can ill-

afford to pay. These are the professionals who identify the infected so that the virus is

contained; treat the afflicted; transport patients to treatment facilities; care for the sick

when not even their closest kin can; work to find a cure or palliative for the disease; and

make sure that medical facilities are thoroughly cleaned up.

They render critical and irreplaceable service in the face of the pandemic. When

we fail to protect the health workers, we also hurt our Health care personnel and have

the same fears as everyone else. They are not invincible. Like the rest of the population,

some are immunocompromised, have underlying conditions, and are over 60 years old.

They can fall, and have fallen, victim to the disease. Because of a shortage in protective

equipment, they are sometimes forced to do their duty in makeshift coveralls – some
made from trash bags and raincoats that are taped in place – improvised face shields,

do-it-yourself face masks, on a wing and a prayer.

A report from CNN Philippines states that between 16 March, when the lockdown

over the Philippine island of Luzon was declared, and 31 March, 17 physicians died

from Covid-19. This means that for every 10 lives claimed by Covid-19 in the country, at

least one was a doctor. Yet, every day, health workers get up to do their jobs, risks and

all. Surely they are entitled to move without having to worry about their safety; eat, do

their laundry, and buy their groceries in peace; and go home and rest in their own beds.

“Do not think us dirty and shun us,” a nurse who recovered from Covid-19 pleaded in a

television interview. Health workers, she had to explain, clean up before entering and

leaving the hospital.

The government has sent a strong signal that it does not condone the assault and

discrimination of health workers. The country’s health department has denounced

discriminatory acts against health workers and called for compassion for those who

have responded to the needs of the country “with dedication, courage, and

selflessness”.

Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has directed the police to increase visibility to deter

mischief aimed at health workers. He has warned people with ill intent to think twice

because their lives will be in the hands of the very people they harass should they end

up stricken with Covid-19.

The interagency task force that was formed to tackle the Covid-19 crisis has likewise

called on the police to “apply the full might of the law” on those who hurt health workers.
Discriminatory acts such as coercion, libel, slander, physical injuries, and dishonoring

contractual obligations such as lease or employment contracts will be dealt with,

officials said.

Following the national government’s lead, local governments are also taking steps to

mitigate the risks faced by health workers in their communities.

The cities of Manila and Cebu have passed ordinances that prohibit discrimination and

denial of service for people infected with Covid-19, people suspected of having

contracted the disease, and health workers. Penalties include fines and imprisonment of

up to six months.

“Let us not allow our fears to rob us of our humanity,” a group of barristers in Cebu said

in condemning the assault against the health workers.

More must be done to make the public appreciate the importance of health workers in

containing the Covid-19 crisis. Arrests need to be made. Lawsuits need to be filed.

Wrongdoers should be made to face justice. Not only because health workers are

getting stigmatized, but because crimes are being committed and laws are being

flouted.

Covid-19 is already taking away freedoms, security, and lives. It is decimating states

and economies. Decency should never be its victim. (Italian Institute For International

Political Studies)
FOREIGN STUDIES

Over the past decade, policing has been widely discussed as a stressful

occupation as compared to other professions in the literature (Campbell and Nobel

2009; Vuorensyrjä and Malkia Vuorensyrjä and Mälkiä 2011). By its nature, it has been

identified as one of the most demanding and stressful occupations worldwide because

of the officers’ exposure to a variety of acute and chronic stressful events at work

(Liberman et al. 2002; Magnavita and Garbarino 2013; Paton et al. 2009).

Consequently, police officers are at greater risk of physical and mental ill-health, e.g.

impaired psychosocial wellbeing and physical ill-health (Garbarino, Cuomo, Chiorri, and

Magnavita Garbarino et al. 2013; Lucas, Weidner, and Janisse Lucas et al. 2012), self-

harm and poor functioning (Volanti et al. 2016).

Previous studies have identified that police officers use problem-focused coping

(e.g. actively addressing the source of stress) and emotion-focused coping (e.g.

acceptance, distraction) to manage their stressors (Evans, Coman, Stanley, and

Burrows Evans et al. 1993; Folkman 2008; Gomes and Afonso 2016; Nelson et al.

Nelson and Smith 2016). Seeking social support from supervisors at work, family and

co-workers has been reported as a coping strategy (Gutshall et al. 2017) to ameliorate

the consequences of stressors (Patterson 2003; Thompson, Kirk, and Brown Thompson

et al. 2005). In addition, getting good quality sleep was reported as a strategy to

manage stress (Gutshall et al. 2017). The type of coping used appears to affect
wellbeing; officers using problem-focused coping reported greater job satisfaction,

whereas those using emotion-focused coping reported more psychological distress,

smoking and alcohol consumption (Pasillas et al. 2006; Pastwa-Wojciechowska and

Piotrowski 2016; Volanti et al. 2016). In this paper, we explore what factors police

officers report mediating the effects of stress.

Sources of stress in policing may be classified into two general categories

(Shane, 2010): those arising from “job content” which include work schedules, shift

work, long-work hours, overtime and court work, and traumatic events and threats to

physical and psychological health; and those arising from “job context” also called

organizational stressors, which refer to characteristics of the organization and behavior

of the people that produce stress (e.g. bureaucracy and co-worker relations). These

sources of stress often come with a price. Exposure to human suffering and death may

also result in a negative view of life, as well as psychological effects such as post-

traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), depression,

and suicide ideation (McCanlies, Miller, Andrew, Wirth, Burchfiel, and Violanti, 2014;

Austin-Ketch et al., 2012; Violanti et al., 2009; Ma et al., 2015). Rotating shifts often

lead to inadequate sleep for officers which lowers physiological resistance to stress

(Baughman et al., 2014; Bond et al., 2013). Family life may be disrupted by shift work

schedules, working holidays, and strained relationships (Kirschman et al., 2014; Torres

et al., 2003). One can add to this array of occupational exposures the recent negative

public image that police face, resulting in public loss of confidence in police integrity

(President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015).

 The nature of the police work involves patrols, investigations, traffic, accidents

attendance, scene of crime and internal disturbance such as riots. Other researchers

Malach-Pines and Keinan (2007) and Waters and Ussery (2007) have also identified

these as the roles of police officers occurring externally. The nature of the external work

environment differs from one place to another in the sense that different localities may

not have similar crime. The first major source of stress identified in police work is

associated with the unique work, usually highlighted in most surveys of law enforcement

officers and ranked-in order as possible stressors. Not surprisingly, the death of a

partner or having to take a life in the line of duty is typical among the top stressors

identified by officers. Other elements of stress often mentioned in the literature include

making (Geller and Hobfall, 1994; Stigler and Thweatt, 1997) violent arrests and

gruesome scenes. Overall, violent and unpredictable incidents involved in police work

are commonly considered to be the leading source of both the psychological and

physical stress among law enforcement officers (He et al., 2002). Kop et al. (1999) for

instance support external environment stress in the content of police work as follows,

emotionally demanding situation such as informing relatives of a sudden death, dealing

with suicide, fatal accidents, criminal or sexual offence with children are some of the

stressors. It also includes dealing with annoying or dirty people, for example drug

addicts or drunkards, the use of violence by officers and the danger associated with the

study, such as violence aggression against officers or risks of ( for example HIV).

Police officers' work stress reactions are always classified as physiological,

emotional and behavioral reactions (Bartol and Bartol, 2004). Physiological reactions

may be termed as having higher than normal probability of death from certain illnesses
specifically heart attack (Morash et al., 2006) and myriad of health problems such as

headaches, high blood pressure and stomach problems (Jaramillo et al., 2005; Perrier,

1984). On the other hand, emotional reactions may include depression and extreme

cases of suicide (Loo, 1999; Miller, 2005; Violanti, 1996). Emotion reaction can also be

so severe which may be termed as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Carlier et al.,

2000; Violanti and Paton, 1999). PTSD is always associated with severe and prolonged

after one exposure to a series of traumatic events. This may lead to job dissatisfaction,

apathy and cynicism (Morash et al., 2006; Perrier, 1984). Whereas behavioral reactions

may entail reduced level of job performance, errors of judgement, irresponsibility, low

morale, absenteeism, tardiness, early retirement and quitting the police service

altogether (Jaramillo et al., 2005; Cooper et al., 1994) at the organizational level,

however at the individual level they include aggression, violence, isolation, excessive

drinking and smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse (Davey et al., 2001; Sigler and

Thweatt, 1997).

FOREIGN STUDIES

Historically, the work of police is to protect life and property, the role that comes

with many challenges such as fighting and prevention of crimes. These roles expose

police officers to different work situations which require different physical and mental

ability (Alkus and Padesky, 1983; Violanti and Aron, 1994; Anshel, 2000; Rollinson,

2005; Morash et al., 2006) to deal with firmly and effectively. Gibbons and Gibbons
(2007) and McCarty et al. (2007) have carried out extensive research on occupational

stress and found out that stress is associated with how an individual appraises

situations and the coping strategies adopted. On the other hand Gibbons and Gibbons

(2007), He et al. (2002) and Malach-Pines and Keinan (2007) argue that occupational

stress involving police officers indicates that police officers are exposed to various

stressful situations which impact negatively on the health and the performance of the

individual officer.

Among the many stressful experiences police officers are exposed to in their line

of work, exposure to traumatic events (e.g. violence, seeing dead bodies, abused

children, etc.) may produce some of the highest stress levels (Korre et al., 2014).

Studies have shown that exposure to stressful life events in the general population can

change brain structure, resulting in decreases in gray matter volume in the bilateral

anterior cingulate and the hippocampi (Papagni et al., 2011; Smith, 2005).

Several longitudinal studies reported significant relationships between traumatic

incidents experienced at work and PTSD in police officers (Huddleston et al., 2007;

Stephens and Miller, 1998; Maguen et al., 2009) (Table I). Huddleston et al. (2007)

found that police recruits who had experienced one or more on-duty traumatic events

had mean impact of event scale scores 64 percent higher than recruits who had

experienced no on-duty traumatic events. Robinson et al. (1997) found that any

encounter with death was the strongest predictor for total PTSD symptomatology

among US police officers. Trauma experienced on-duty as a police officer was shown to

be more strongly related to PTSD symptoms than trauma experienced while off-duty
(Stephens and Miller, 1998). Also, in a case-control study of officers with and without

PTSD symptoms, trauma severity was the only predictor of PTSD symptoms (Carlier et

al., 1997).

Theoretical Framework 

 Interactional theories of stress

Interactional models emphasise the interaction of the environmental stimulus and

the associated individual responses as a foundation of stress (Lazarus and Launier

1978). For instance, the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) theory posits that effort at work

is spent as part of a psychological contract, based on the norm of social reciprocity,

where effort at work is remunerated with rewards and opportunities (Siegrist 1996).

Here, it is the imbalance in this contract that can result in stress or distress. Yet in

contrast to transactional theories of stress, this imbalance may not necessarily be

subject to any appraisal, as the stressor may be an everyday constant occurrence.

The Person-Environment Fit theory is one of the earliest interactional theories of work-

related psychological distress, suggesting that work-related stress arises due to a lack

of fit between the individual’s skills, resources and abilities, and the demands of the

work environment (Caplan 1987, French, Caplan and Van Harrison 1982). Here,

interactions may occur between objective realities and subjective perceptions and

between environmental variables and individual variables. In this case, it has been
argued that stress can occur when there is a lack of fit between either the degree to

which an employee’s attitudes and abilities meet the demands of the job or the extent to

which the job environment meets the workers’ needs (French, Rodgers and Cobb

1974).

Yet the Job Demand-Control (JDC) theory supposes that work-related stress can

result from the interaction between several psychological job demands relating to

workload such as cognitive and emotional demands, interpersonal conflict, job control

relating to decision authority (agency to make work-related decisions) and skill

discretion (breadth of work-related skills used) (Karasek Jr 1979). The JDC model is

concerned with predicting outcomes of psychological strain, and workers who

experience high demands paired with low control are more likely to experience work-

related psychological distress and strain (Beehr et al. 2001).

However, the original concept of job demand and control was expanded in 1988

to become the Demand Control Support (DCS) theory, describing how social support

may also act as a buffer in high demand situations (Johnson and Hall 1988). As social

support as a coping mechanism can moderate the negative impacts of job stress,

another later version of the JDC theory was developed to suggest that it is those

individuals who experience high demands paired with low control and poor support who

are most at risk of work-related psychological distress (Van der Doef and Maes 1999).

These later versions of the JDC theory were developed, as earlier versions were

considered to be too simplistic and ignorant of the moderating effects of social support

upon the main variables. However, the perceived job demands and decision autonomy

outlined in the JDC theory have been acknowledged as being key factors in determining
the effects and outcomes of work on employees’ health (Cox, Griffiths and Rial-

González 2000)

Allostatic Load Model of the Stress Process

 Another model of work stress has been developed in response to the Health and

Safety Executive’s (HSE) advice for tackling work-related stress and stress risk

assessments (Cousins* et al. 2004, HSE 2001). This model, developed by Cooper and

Palmer underpins the theory and practice advocated by the HSE (Palmer, Cooper and

Thomas 2003). This model explores the stress-related ‘hazards’ or sources of stress

facing employees in the workplace. The acute symptoms of stress are also set out, and

these symptoms relate to the organisation, as well as the individual. The negative
outcomes are outlined for both an individual’s physical and mental health, however

beyond this, outcomes are presented as financial losses for both the individual and the

organisation.

Cooper and Palmer’s model of work stress

Another model of work stress developed by Cooper and Marshall sets out the

sources of stress at work, factors which determine how an individual may respond to

such stressors, go on to experience acute symptoms, and eventually go on to reach the

chronic disease phase affecting one’s physical and/or mental health (Cooper and

Marshall 1976). This model is concerned with the long-term consequences of work-

related stress, as well as the acute symptoms of, sources of, and the individual

characteristics associated with work-related stress.

Conceptual Framework

This framework outlines the problems in this study that need to be addressed,

using in-depth interviews and data analysis on the psychological health of the police

officers in relation to their work in this pandemic can answer in terms of their duty

hours; working environment; fear of being infected; cooperation of the public; family

support and government’s support.  And also to identify the impact of the behavior of

the community in the psychological health of the law enforcers in this quarantine period

in Balanga City, Bataan.  Bataan.

 Research gap 

While there are numerous studies made to determine the psychological health of

police officers as frontliners amidst covid-19 Pandemic based on the analysis of their

work, none so far based from the literature review has been made to know the same from

the perspective of the law enforcement officers, using qualitative methods. Besides, the

unique culture, locale and environmental conditions of Balanga City Bataan can

contribute to the bulk of knowledge on studies regarding psychological health of the

respondents.

 
 Chapter 3

Method of Research and Procedures

This chapter presents the research method to be used in this study. It also

shows the frameworks of population and locale of the study, data gathering tool

and procedures, ethical considerations and treatment of data. 

Research Method 

The researcher will utilize a qualitative -quantitative type of research since

the study is an assessment of the psychological health of police officers in

relation to their work amidst Covid 19 Pandemic in the City of Balanga, Bataan. A

descriptive survey is appropriate when the subjects vary among themselves and

one is concerned to know to which different conditions and situations are

obtained among these subjects. The descriptive survey offers the value of

realities, data and facts and it focuses on the most important things to be

described (Sevilla 2003) about an existing occurrence. 

In this study, the general response of the respondents will be in the form

of in-depth interviews to identify the effect of the behavior of the community

among the police officers in relation to their work as police officers. Moreover, the

instructional material particularly the objectives, content, assessment tools, and

other vital parts will use document analysis to validate  the work of police officers

as frontliner this pandemic affects their psychological health in terms of duty

hours; working environment; fear of being infected; cooperation of the public;

family support and government's support. 

Population and Locale 

Bataan is a province in the Philippines situated in the Central Luzon

region. Its capital is the City of Balanga. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula

on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to

the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to

the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.

 MAP OF BALANGA CITY BATAAN

Number of Population in Balanga: 87,920 (Census,2010)

Inter- agency Task Force Policy and Guidelines in Covid-19 Pandemic:

1) Emerging Infectious Disease Coronavirus

2) Implementation of Required wearing of facemask

3) Implementation of Enhanced Community Lockdown

4) Implementation of the momentarily closure of establishments

5) Implementation of Community Quarantine

6) Implementation of Liquor Ban

 7) Implementation of forbidden emission or leaving the house of

persons with 18 years of age and below and senior citizens and a

pregnant

8) Implementation of Total lockdown in every Municipal

COVID-19 CASES TALLY AS OF DECEMBER 14, 2020

Total Cases Recovered Cases Deaths Cases

Philippines - 449K 419K 8,733

Bataan - 3,557 3,259 48

Balanga - 526 468 73

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE COVID-19 CASES AS OF OCTOBER 13,2020

Total Number of Active Cases- 6,498

Recoveries- 5,728

Deaths- 750

LAWS THAT ARE INDICATED IN THE RESEARCH

 1) The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, also known as the Bayanihan Act, and

officially designated as Republic Act No. 11469, is a law in the Philippines that

was enacted in March 2020 granting the President additional authority to combat

the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

2) Duterte: Wear Face Mask Or Face Arrest; PNP To Intensify Operations Against

Violators Of COVID-19 Protocols

President Duterte says not wearing a face mask can be considered a “serious

crime” as the country is facing a public health crisis due to the COVID-19

pandemic. But he also recognizes that not everyone can afford to buy masks.

3) Republic Act No. 6975 established the Philippine National Police (PNP) under

a Reorganized Department ofthe Interior and Local Government. This law

stated that PNP is supposed to have a Maritime Police Unit, to absorb the police

functions of the Coast Guard and to be provided with sea capabilities.

Sampling Scheme 

Purposive sampling will be used in the study as it is the recommended sampling

scheme for most qualitative researches. Purposive sampling is a non-probability sample

that is selected based on the features of a population and the objective of the study

which is to determine the psychological health of police officers in relation to their work

in the Covid19 pandemic. While there seems to be no dictated number of participants,

the researcher based on prevailing literature considers adopting saturation to ensure

that data from the participants are collected properly. Purposive sampling, also known

as judgmental, selective or subjective sampling, is a type of non-probability sampling

technique. Non-probability sampling focuses on sampling techniques where the units

that are investigated are based on the judgement of the researcher.

The main goal of purposive sampling is to focus on particular characteristics of a

population that are of interest, which will best enable you to answer your research

questions. The sample being studied is not representative of the population, but for

researchers pursuing qualitative or mixed methods research designs, this is not

considered to be a weakness. Rather, it is a choice, the purpose of which varies

depending on the type of purposing sampling technique that is used. For example, in

homogeneous sampling, units are selected based on their having similar characteristics

because such characteristics are of particular interest to the researcher. (Patton, 1990,

2002; Kuzel, 1999)

Data Gathering Tools

The researcher will be using in-depth interviews to gather information. In-

depth interviewing is a qualitative research technique that encompasses

intensive individual interviews with a small number of respondents to explore

their perspectives on an idea, program, or situation. In this study the respondents

are law enforcement officers. In-depth interviews are useful to detail the

respondent’s thoughts and behaviors in regards with the field of study. Interviews
are often used to arrange context to other data (such as outcome data), offering

a more complete representation of what happened in the study and why it

happened. 

Data Gathering Procedures

The data gathering will be in the form of interviews that were tape

recorded by the researcher and sought permission from the higher officers in the

Philippine National Police of Balanga City, Bataan to allow them to administer the

prepared questionnaires and hand over a permission letter to conduct a survey.

In order to highlight necessary information, the researcher will take notes during

the discussion that will be articulated by the participants. As well as the identity of

the respondents will be unrevealed, his or her aliases will be used during the

procedure.   

The duly accomplished questionnaire was collated, tallied and tabulated.

The data was computed using the aid of SPSS or Statistical Package for

Social Sciences which made the computation relatively easier, faster,

economical, more reliable, and valid.

Treatment of Data  
 Thematic analysis will be used in analyzing the data to be gathered. The

thematic analysis shall be utilized in analyzing data collected as a result of the

interview conducted with the participant. The purpose of TA is to identify

patterns of meaning across a dataset that provide an answer to the research

question being addressed. Patterns are identified through a rigorous process of

data familiarization, data coding, and theme development and revision.

 A flexible data analysis plan that qualitative researchers use to generate

themes from interview data. This approach is flexible, there is no specific

research design associated with thematic analysis, a qualitative research

strategy for identifying, analyzing, and reporting identifiable patterns or themes

within data. There are multiple phases to this process: The researcher (a)

familiarizes himself or herself with the data; (b) generates initial codes or

categories for possible placement of themes; (c) collates these codes into

potential themes; (d) reviews the chosen themes and checks that these work in

relation to the coded extracts and the entire data set, effectively generating a

thematic “map” of the analysis; (e) defines and names the themes; and (f)

produces the report (Braun and Clarke 2013).

Ethical Considerations

This area of study is used to ensure that the proceeding will be ethically

considerate, to avoid risk and problems during the procedure. 

 The study will be using pertinent facts conducted during the in-depth

interview among the law enforces. This data gathering procedure is ensured with

waived consent or informed voluntary consent of the respondents. 

CHAPTER 4

PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

This Chapter presents the data collected from the research instruments,

the interpretation of the said data and subsequent analysis made in relation to

available research and literature. This presents the information of the gathered

data that we get through our virtual interview to the PNP members that are

assigned as frontliners in this COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the analysis as

well as the interpretation of the result of this study. The support system, health

concerns and effect of the pandemic to the psychological health of every police

officer in this study discovered using thematic analysis, codes, categories and

themes eventually emerged as a result.

This assessment shows the numbers of police officers that are responsible for their

different assignments and designation in this pandemic and this shows what

psychological health problems police officers are suffering and how they resist it.
 Table 1

Profile of the Respondents

Age Frequency Percent

36-40 4 19.05

31-35 4 19.05

26-30 6 28.57

21-25 7 33.33

Total 21 100.0

Sex Frequency Percent

Female 10 47.62

Male 11 52.38

Total 21 100.0

Rank Frequency Percent

Police Chief Master Ser 1 4.76

Police Master Sergeant 2 9.52

Police Staff Sergeant 6 28.57

Police Corporal 2 9.52

Patrolman/patrolman 10 47.62

Total 21 100.0
 Salary Frequency Percent

(no salary indicated) 2 9.52

41,000-50,000 2 9.52

29,000-40,000 17 80.95

Total 21 100.0

Table 1 presents the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, rank and salary. In

terms of age, most of the policemen are in their twenties. Seven (7) among them are

from 21-25 years of age while six (6) are with age 26-30. Four each (4) belong to age

brackets 31-35 and 36-40.

In terms of sex, eleven (11) among them are males and ten (10) are females. The

almost equal number of male and female respondents was intended in order to solicit

balanced responses and emotions from the uniformed men with respect to their duties

and responsibilities as front-liners in this time of pandemic.

In terms of rank, the men and women who are considered to be more associated with

the people were chosen as respondents. There were ten (10) patrolmen/patrol women,

six (6) staff sergeant, two each (2) were with ranks Police Master Sergeant and Police

Corporal, and one (1) Police Chief Master Sergeant.

 In terms of salary, eighty one (81) percent among the respondents are receiving

a salary between Php 29,000 to Php40,000 while two (2) are receiving a salary between

Php41,000 to 50,000, and the other two (2) are receiving

___________________________

Table 2

Job description of the Respondents

Job Description Frequency Percent

Patrol Officer 7 33.33

Checking and Investigate 2 9.52

Police Intel 1 4.76

Warrant 1 4.76

Desk Officer 6 28.57

Admin 4 19.05

Total 21 100.0

Duty Hour Frequency Percent

24 Hours 1 4.76

12Hours 19 90.48

8 Hours 1 4.76
 Total 21 100.0

Work Environment Frequency Percent

Office 8 38.10

Checkpoint 7 33.33

Field 5 23.81

On Call 1 4.76

Total 21 100.0

Table 2 reveals the work related activities of the respondents. Seven of the

respondents are assigned as Patrol Officer, six (6) are Desk Officer. In addition, four (4)

are in the administration while two (2) are in the checking and investigative and one (1)

each as Police Intel and Warrant Officer.

In terms of the number of hours of duty, majority or 19 among them are serving

for 12 hours, one (1) is for an eight (8) hour duty and similarly, one (1) for a 24 hours of

duty.

For their work environment, eight (8) are assigned in the office, seven (7) in a

checkpoint, five (5) in the field, and one (1) as a on call police officer

Table 3
 Support System

Support Mean SD Descriptive Rating

Family 3.76 .44 Very Satisfactory

Community 3.52 .60 Very Satisfactory

Government 3.24 .54 Satisfactory

Colleague 3.71 .56 Very Satisfactory

PNP 3.62 .59 Very Satisfactory

Over all 3.57 .36 Very Satisfactory

Scale Descriptive Rating

4.20 - 5.0 Outstanding

3.40 - 4.19 Very Satisfactory

2.60 - 3.39 Satisfactory

1.80 - 2.59 Below satisfactory

1.0 -1.79 Very poor

Table 3 reports the support given to the policemen by their family, by the

community, by the government, their colleagues, and by the PNP organization.

With regard to the support given by their families, the policemen gained a very

satisfactory support from their loved ones as shown by the mean of 3.76. This is one
reason why uniformed personnel have high moral and courage in performing their

duties.

Evidently, the community gives its support to the services of the policemen as

shown by the mean of 3.52. The very satisfactory rating given by the community implied

that the people recognize the sacrifices being given by the PNP personnel in combating

the deadly virus.

In contrast, the rating obtained from the support being extended by the

government is satisfactory having a mean of 3.24. The satisfactory rating doesn’t mean

that the government showed negligence to the support toward the PNP operation, but

rather the government must also do its primary duty to protect the people, hence, all

government agencies down to the LGU showed to be taken care by the government

including the PNP.

Furthermore, the support given by each member of the police organization is

evident as shown by the mean of 3.71 on the colleague’s support, which is next to the

family support. This shows that each member of the bureaucracy considers themselves

as one family working together in performing their responsibilities.

Likewise, the PNP organizations gave its full support to the servicemen as

supported by the very satisfactory rating. Some of these were the benefits given to each

member of the PNP in case they suffer consequences in fighting against the virus.

Legal support is also extended to each member of the PNP.

 The component mean of the support system is 3.57 which is very satisfactory.

This rating supports the virtual interviews conducted with some selected members of

the PNP.

Table 4

Psychological Health and Condition of the Policeman during the Pandemic

Health and Psychological Condition Mean SD Descriptive rating

Psychological Effect 1.42 .19 Very low

Stress Anxiety 1.72 .19 Very low

Signs of Psychological issues 1.30 .16 Very low

Unique Experiences 3.37 .25 Satisfactory

Component Mean ( Over all) 3.48 .14 Very Satisfactory

Scale Descriptive Rating

4.20 - 5.0 Outstanding

3.40 - 4.19 Very Satisfactory

2.60 - 3.39 Satisfactory

1.80 - 2.59 Below satisfactory

1.0 -1.79 Very low

 Table 4 reports the health and psychological condition of the Policemen in terms

of the psychological effect of the Coronavirus, the level of stress and anxiety of the

respondents, presence of any psychological problem, and unwanted experiences

encountered by the Police-respondents.

In terms of psychological effect, the moral of the Policemen is high in giving

services to the people as supported by the low mean of 1.42 which indicate that they

were not affected by the problem brought about by the pandemic, hence their

psychological condition is very satisfactory

The courage being expected of every policeman is seen in this time of war

against Covid 19 as evidently shown by the mean of 1.72 on the level of stress and

anxiety. This very low rating suggests that they never experienced stress and anxiety in

performing their duties and responsibilities.

Furthermore, in the presence of signs of psychological issues, the very low

mean of 1.30 supports that the policemen showed no sign of any psychological

disorder.

In terms of the experiences met by the policemen during the pandemic which

were different from their normal duties, the mean of 3.37 with a descriptive rating of

satisfactory suggest that they actually experienced different situations compared to their

normal duties. One among these is that they should wear protective gears and maintain

social distancing.
 Table 5

Effects of Work of Police Officers in their Psychological Health

Spearman’s rho Job Duty Hour Work

Description Environment

Correlation Coefficient -.408 .404 -.012

Psychological Effect Sig. (2-tailed) .066 .069 .958
Relationship Moderate Moderate Negligible

Correlation Coefficient -.187 .353 .595

Stress and Anxiety Sig. (2-tailed?) .417 .116 .004
Relationship Negligible Low Moderate

Correlation Coefficient -.049 .488 -.338

Signs of Psychological Sig. (2-tailed) .833 .025 .134
Issues Relationship Negligible Moderate Low

Correlation Coefficient -.102 -.291 .275

Experiences other than Sig. (2-tailed) .659 .200 .228
Normal duty Relationship Negligible Low Low

Correlation Coefficient Relationship

±.81 - ±1.0 High Correlation

±.601 - ±.80 Moderately High Correlation

±.41 - ±.60 Moderate Correlation

±.21 - ±.40 Low Correlation

±.01 - ±.20 Negligible Correlation

 Table 5 presents the Spearman’s rank correlation on the effect of work of the

police officer on their psychological health. The Spearman’s rho is used since the data

collected are non-parametric.

The table shows that the psychological condition of the police officers were not

significantly affected by their job description, duty hour, and work environment having

correlation coefficients of -.408, .404, and -.012 respectively and with p-values (sig)

higher than .05 level.

The stress and anxiety of the respondents is significantly affected by their work

environment having a correlation coefficient of -.595 significant at .01 level. The positive

correlation indicates that the level of stress and anxiety increases when the work

environment becomes risky and decreases when they are assigned to stable (lighter)

places of assignment.

Furthermore, the signs of psychological issues are significantly correlated with

duty hour having a correlation coefficient of .488 which is significant at .05 level. This

implied that the police officers, eventually, were affected by their comfort hours in

performing their duties. Day and night duty actually are different.

Further analysis shows that the work of the police officers in terms of job

description, duty hour and work environment did not yield any other experiences other

than the normal duties of the police as supported by the p-values which are all greater

than .05 level.

SUPPORT SYSTEM

Moral support given by the family

As family is the first learning place of an individual in this world, so it is one of the most

vital supports that make people successful (Edward, 2013). Large number of people

point out that family is the smallest group of social life and also it is the first group of

people who teach you about the crucial fundamentals of life. For example, they teach

you the norm and value of life and teach you what is right and wrong. Moreover, family

is an institution that has a function in teaching personalities of children since they were

born.

Support of their family as one of the frontliners in this Covid-19 pandemic

 Providing the necessary moral and perpetual support for the police officers
given by their wife and their kids

(http://region1.dilg.gov.ph)

No rather than family support is the most important thing needed by each
of our police officers. Most of them are taking courage and inspiration to face their
complicated job because of the virus that can infect them.

Police A stated “By providing me the necessary moral and perpetual

support especially my wife and my kids”
Police B answered “ By understanding my responsibilities as a police
officer and giving their support to my job”
And according to Police C “By following the instructions in the guidelines
for this pandemic and avoiding committing crime in this kind of pandemic”

“A family resilience approach goes beyond problem solving to problem

prevention by not only repairing families, but also preparing them to meet future
challenges’’ (p. 276). The key factors identified by Walsh (1996) to help families develop
resilience are: (1) enhancing family cohesion, (2) developing flexibility, (3) nurturing
open communication between family members, (4) developing problem solving skills,
and (5) having an affirming belief system. Conceptualizing family resiliency in this way
fits within the framework of a multi-modal family stress prevention program like the one
completed in this study. According to Walsh (1 996),
Support of the community to the police officers as one of the frontliners in this Covid-19
pandemic

Cooperative and Responsive Community

(www.arabnews.com)

Police A stated that “By following the strict rules and regulations given by
law enforcers to ensure their security and being safe from covid-19”
Police B answered “By obeying security guidelines and policies given by us,
as a part of law enforcement”

And according to Police C “By following the instructions in the guidelines

for this pandemic and avoiding committing crime in this kind of pandemic”

In this kind of situation where all of us are in danger from the virus spreading
worldwide, the simple cooperation of the community in not regulating every rule or law
and not committing crime can reduce the work of police officers and can prevent stress
to our police officers.

Suggest the underlying goals of police-community partnerships should be seeking out

ways for police departments to build stronger relationships with their communities. This
can be done through gaining residents’ confidence in the police, which will in turn create
more willingness to work with police in anti crime initiatives. Some of the anti crime
initiatives include: foot, bike, and Segway patrols. These initiatives take officers out from
inside their vehicles, which many have historically been seen as a barrier between the
community and law enforcement, and places them in position for more personal contact
with citizens. The goals of Community Oriented Policing, itself an alternative initiative to
traditional law enforcement approaches, have shown the importance of increasing law
enforcement interactions with the community (Hickman & Reaves, 2001, p.9), which
modernizes how the police operate.Wehrman & DeAngelis (2011)

Support of our government to every police officers as frontliners in this Covid-19

pandemic

Remunerative and Well Defined Salary

(www.official gazette.gov.ph)

Police A stated “By supporting all the needs of all frontliners serving this
pandemic”
Police B answered “By helping us for our financial needs such our salary”
According to the Police C “By providing all necessary needs and benefits
such as salary of us as a PNP member”

Salary or allowances of every police officer are the replacement of their honest and
brace service to the community of the Philippines. Government provides the benefits
needed by all of the police officers that are designated in their specific duty in this kind
of pandemic.
 RANK SALARY

Police Officer 1 (PO1) 29,668

Police Officer 2 (PO2) 30,867

Police Officer 3 (PO3) 32,114

Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) 33,411

Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) 33,41

Senior Police Officer 3 (SPO3) 34,761

Senior Police Officer 4 (SPO4) 38,366

Cadet 38,366

Police Inspector (PINSP) 49,528

Police Senior Inspector (PSINSP) 56,582

Police Chief Inspector (PCINSP) 62,533

Police Superintendent (PSUPT) 71,313

Police Senior Superintendent (PSSUPT) 80,583

Police Chief Superintendent (PCSUPT) 91,058

Police Director (PDIR) 102,896

Police Deputy General (PDDG) 123,574

Police Director General (PDG) 149,285

Support of police officers in their colleague in this Covid-19 pandemic

Camaraderie among the Police Officers in the Organization

(PNP facebook page )

Police A stated that “By helping each other in times of responding any type
of crimes in relation to quarantine violators”
Police B answered “By helping and trusting each other”
And according to Police C“By accompanying each others in every situation
of our duty”

Trusting each other in this time is the concept and the lesson that we learned in
this kind of situation, Especially in the kind of job as a police officer that they need to
help and trust each other to implement the rules and guidelines in this pandemic. By
cooperation all the members of PNP can handle and successfully do their job.

Support of the Philippine National Police to their members of the organization

: Providing all necessary tools and equipments used by frontliners in

performing their specific roles in different scenario this pandemic
 (www.Unicef Philippines)

Police A stated that “By providing all logistics and tools used by police
frontliners, in performing their specific roles in different scenario in this
pandemic”
Police B answered “By providing our necessary tools and equipments
example is the medical and hygiene kit for us as a frontliners”
And according to Police C “By providing all needs especially the
equipments needed by the roles of police officers in this Covid-19
pandemic”

Supporting the police officers in this Covid-19 pandemic by means of giving

necessary equipment needed in rescuing people in the community and tools that they
need in different emergencies such as medical kit and government provides medical
assistance to all of the frontliners serving their duties in this pandemic.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Every frontliners suffers their physical and mental health in this Covid-19
Pandemic. Police Officers are serving in the community without hesitation even if
their health is endangered. As a graduating students we think their job is very
complicated and stressful but every police officers that we interviewed are
applying the highest moral that he/she can be and doing their role as a frontliners
in this Covid-19 pandemic
Police A stated “In this times of pandemic we learn how to be mentally tough at
all times”
Police B answered “ Physically tired but always implementing the high moral of a
police officer”
And according to Police C “ In this situation we learn to appreciate all that we have
and think positive to prevent mental and physical illness”

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for

people. Fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be
overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health
actions, such as social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and
can increase stress and anxiety. However, these actions are necessary to reduce
the spread of COVID-19. Coping with stress in a healthy way will make you, the
people you care about, and your community stronger.

1. Feel stressed or experienced anxiety during your duty as a frontliner?

Almost all of our interviewed personnel are active in every duty and have enough
courage to do their job every single moment. They are implementing police
morals or having too much patience in handling every situation even if it is hard
or complicated.

2. Types of Psychological Health experienced by the police officers in this

covid-19 pandemic as frontliners?

Few of our interviewed personnel suffered by any kind of psychological health

issues except by stress. Stress is the common psychological health issue that
police officers are fighting in this kind of situation. It ios natural in their job
because of their kind of duty.

3. Experiences in their duty as a frontliner that are different from their regular
duty?
4. Police Officers are experiencing discrimination by other people in the
community because of the social norms that they are more expose in
outside and have high tendencies to be infected by Covid-19 virus.
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations emanating from the

results.
Conclusions:

Most of the police officers that we interviewed are in the age of 40 years old

below of age and they are aggressive in their job. Most of them are implementing high

morals in their respective responsibilities in this Covid-19 pandemic. They have different

job descriptions. Even their work is complicated due to the more tendencies to be

infected by the virus. They are working completely in their duty hours and the most

common duty hours are at least 12 hours per day. Police officers are getting strength

from their families to make their job well done everyday. They trust and help each other

to serve the community. By accompanying each other with their colleagues is their key

to implement the rules and regulations to the community. They want to extend and

apply the importance and the essence of police and public relations to communicate

and to coordinate to the community to inform them about the safety guidelines in this

Covid-19 pandemic. The Philippine National Police Organization helps them by giving

necessary needs, equipment or materials to protect their lives and used that equipment

needed in their work and the support of the government in terms of financial, The

salaries and benefits of every police officer that they need to support and meet the

needs of their family. And the most common problem of every police officers are the

community discrimination because of their kind of job because they are more possible

and high tendencies to be infected due to their duty.

It is shown that the support of their family in the numbers our interviewed

personnel are almost answered is very satisfactory; they are sufficiently satisfied with

the support for them by their own families. The necessary or essential needs that can
provide the familkies to them are good enough to fulfill the demand of every police

officer in their prospective duty.

In the support of Community stated by the police officers that the community is

outstanding in their responsibilities to help the police officers to lessen their stressful job

by cooperating them by means of obeying strict rules and regulation in this Covid-19

pandemic guidelines

Shown in this study that the support of their family in the numbers our

interviewed personnel are almost answered is very satisfactory; they are sufficiently

satisfied with the support for them by their own families. The necessary or essential

needs that can provide the familkies to them are good enough to fulfill the demand of

every police officer in their prospective duty.

In the support of Community stated by the police officers that the community is

outstanding in their responsibilities to help the police officers to lessen their stressful job

by cooperating them by means of obeying strict rules and regulation in this Covid-19

pandemic guidelines

In the study about the support of the government all of the personnel stated that

the government support them in the means of financial support, benefits and other

allowances given by our Philippine Government

Trusting each other is the most efficiency need by each of their colleagues to

help and visualize all necessary help needed by one of each police officers stated by

the interviewed personnel support of their colleagues is satisfactory

 The Philippine National Police Organization members stated that the level of

support of the organization is very satisfactory and provides all thing that they need in

the extension of implementing the law according to the covid-19 pandemic

This research on the psychological stress experienced by the member of the

Philippine National Police on their duty as a frontliner in this coronavirus disease or

covid 19 pandemic has provided a more complete understanding that moral and

perpetual support given by their family could help to cope up with stress and loneliness

that they are experiencing right now. Because of the support system that they gave ,

police officers are more inspired and motivated to do their assigned work properly.

Indeed, families that have a simple support system can solve and prevent no matter

how big or small it is.

Recommendations:

1. There must be a stress measurement in police officers. Policing is a stressful

occupation and this stress has a negative impact on police officers’ mental and

physical health, performance, and interactions with citizens. Mental health at the

workplace has become a concern due to the costs of depression, anxiety,

burnout, and even suicide, which is high among police officers.

2. There must be a burnout assessment among police officers for many stressful

experiences they are exposed in their line of work, exposure to traumatic events

such as violence, seeing dead bodies, abused children, etc. that may produce

some of the highest stress levels.

3. A systematic and reasonable work schedule including shift work, long hours of

rest for police officers.

4. Close coordination among non- government organizations and community that

can be achieved thru: +

a. semestral meetings and kapihan sessions; and

b. inclusion of coordination policies in the operational procedures of law

enforcement agencies.

5. A reward system must be designed for the informants of quarantine violators and

other related violations.

6. Develop legal frameworks for guiding the regulation of quarantine violations and

other related rules.

 APPENDICES 

APPENDIX I

Name(Optional): ________________________________

Date:_________________

QUESTIONNAIRE CHECKLIST
Directions: Kindly accomplish this questionnaire checklist completely and as truthful,

honest, and straightforward as much as possible. The data herein shall be treated with

the utmost confidentiality and professionalism. Tick the line which corresponds to your

answer and write the appropriate response on the blanks provided.

I. PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS

Age:

( ) 21-25 y/o ( ) 36-40 y/o

( ) 26-30 y/o ( ) 41- 50 y/o

( ) 31-35 y/o ( ) 51 y/o and above

Sex:

( ) Male ( ) Female

Rank:

( ) Patrolman/Patrolwoman ( ) Police Captain

( ) Police Corporal ( ) Police Major

( ) Police Staff Sergeant ( ) Police Lieutenant Colonel

( ) Police Master Sergeant ( ) Police Colonel

( ) Police Senior Master Sergeant ( ) Police Brigadier General

( ) Police Chief Master Sergeant ( ) Police Major General

( ) Police Executive Master Sergeant ( ) Police Lieutenant General

( ) Police Lieutenant ( ) Police General

Salary:

( ) 29, 000- 40, 000

( ) 41, 000- 50, 000

( ) 51, 000 and above

II. NATURE OF THE WORK OF POLICE OFFICER

2.1. Job Description:

__________________________________

2.2. Duty hours:

( ) 8 hours

( ) 12 hours

( ) 24 hours
2.3. Work Environment:

( ) Field

( ) Checkpoint/s

( ) Office

( ) Others. Please Specify: ______________

III. SUPPORT SYSTEM

3.1. Amidst the Pandemic Covid 19, how does your family show their support to you as

one of the front-liners?

3.2. Amidst the Pandemic Covid 19, how does the community show its support to you

as one of the front-liners?

3.3. Amidst the Pandemic Covid 19, how does your government (national or local) show

their support to you as one of the front-liners?

3.4. Amidst the Pandemic Covid 19, how does your colleague show their support to you

as one of the front-liners?

3.5. Amidst the Pandemic Covid 19, how did the Philippine National Police show their

support to you as one of the front-liners?

IV. HEALTH CONCERNS

1. What is the effect of the work of police officers on their psychological health

during this Covid19 pandemic?

2. Did you feel stressed or experience anxiety during your duty as a front-liner?

3. What are the signs or types of psychological health issues you experienced?

4. What are your experiences with this Pandemic that is far different from your

regular duty as a frontliner?

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER

CARLOS MIGUEL MENDOZA EULEN

Carlos Miguel Mendoza Eulen and Al Kevin Jay Genega are currently 4th year

students of Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies taking the course of Bachelor of

Science in Criminology.

1st Class Eulen is a persistent student that wants to pursue his dreams and help

his family and especially the community of our country. the youngest child of Marito B.

Eulen and Charie M. Eulen. He was born on September 18. 1998 in Balanga City,

Bataan. He has one brother and a sister. He graduated elementary at Balanga

Elementary School and in Bataan National Highschool in his mid school. He is currently

22 years of age and a graduating student that has a dream to serve for the country and

be a member of the Organization of any Tri Bureau.

AL KEVIN JAY GENEGA

1st Class Genega is a loving father to his child and wife. He is the youngest child of

Maritesd and Alvin Genega. He also has a brother named Marvin Genega. He lives in

Limay Bataan and graduated elementary at Gabaldon Elementary School at Limay

Bataan and finished his mid school at St. Michael the Art Angel Academy. He is

currently 22 years of age and an aspiring member of the PNP Organization someday.