LESSON PLAN

TITLE: Police Ethics in Investigation with Case

Analysis

COURSE: Criminal Investigation Course

MODULE: 1 (General Subject)

LESSON PLAN NUMBER : 2

TARGET AUDIENCE: Investigators and personnel assigned in

Investigation Offices/Units. Preferably with the

ranks of Pat to PSSg

DATE AND VENUE: As scheduled

TIME ALLOTTED: 3 hours

LEARNING AIDS REQUIRED: Multi-media projector and laptop, pop sheets,

white board and marker.

PARTICIPANTS EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Notebook and pen

TRAINING REFERENCES USED: RA 6713: Code of Ethical Standard of Government

Officials and Employees, Police Ethics Course

Manual, ICITAP Standard, PNP Code of

Ethical Standard, Courtesy and Discipline,

PNP Protocol and Social Amenities

INTRODUCTION:

The Philippine National Police must have honest and highly ethical personnel in

order to be effective and credible in the eyes of the public. It is expected that those

people who enforce the law must also obey the law in order to gain respect that follows

voluntary cooperation from the public.

Since PNP personnel are the most visible representatives of the government,

they must therefore follow and obey the rules because they are frontlines of the

government. A police service that is viewed as unethical and corrupt will reflect

negatively on the government. If the people believed that policemen are corrupt, they

will also believe that the government is corrupt. If allowed to continue, this will result to

civil conflict, widespread criminality, lawlessness and loss of government control.

This lesson will focus on the important requirement for the ethics and basic

values the PNP personnel must maintain to effectively serve the nation.

LEARNING GOAL:

The goal of this lesson is for students to develop clear understanding of the

international standards of police ethics, the relationship between ethical behavior and

effective police service, and how those principles are applied in the Philippine National

Police.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this segment, the participants will be able to:

1. Discuss “values”, its impact to the organization and how they are formed;

2. Identify organizational values of the PNP and describe how they influence the

services provided by the PNP;

3. Explain the word “ethics” as it is applied to the police service;

4. Explain the challenges to police ethical behavior;

5. Review and understand the international and national legal basis of police

ethics in criminal investigation; and

6. Understand the three essential principles in the use of any power and

authority.

SESSIONS:

1. Values, its impact to the organization and how they are formed:

Values are the concept and ideas within each of us that we deem important. It
serves as our guide that determines our behaviors and assists us in our decisions in life.

They help us decide right from wrong and help us define who we are and what we stand

for. It originates from our families, traditions, religion, elders, and friends.

They are formed early in life, and are reinforced by our experiences. Once

establish are very hard to change.

Individual values are important to each of us but we have values for other part of

our lives. Our religion, social group or organizations have values. Families have values

that may somewhat different from our individual values, but are usually very similar.

Your children will learn from you but they may add their own ideas and alter their own

individual values from yours. Generally, their values will remain consistent with your

family values.

2. Organizational values and its influence to the service:

Every organization has values that are important to the group. It will help the

organization to survive. Organizations develop values much the same as each

individual has developed values. Values are formed in organizations by the people who

work within the group just like individuals do. Organizational values are driven by the

people who represent the group, the workers and employees. Good organizations are

formed by acceptance of good values. The PNP will be an effective organization only if

it develops good values.

The good value systems for the PNP are the following:

a. Honesty and integrity

b. Respect for human rights

c. Professionalism

d. Strong sense of justice

e. Desire to help and serve others

f. Patriotism

g. Selflessness
3. Ethics and its application to police service:

Ethics is defined as the “standards of conduct and moral requirements”

necessary to function effectively within an organization or profession.

The PNP has a unique responsibility within an organized society to maintain law

and order within the community. No other organization has this specific mission to

maintain law and order and no other organization is entrusted with the lawful power to

arrest persons, investigate suspected criminal activities, or use force in a lawful manner.

Because the police are entrusted with this important and fundamental authority, the

people who have been given this lawful power must exercise such power with restraint

and according to ethical standards.

Ethics, in the law enforcement context, means honest and honorable service to

the community rather than working for personal gain or individual profit.

4. Challenges to police ethical behavior:

The following are the challenges:

a. Individual character challenges- these difficulties arise from personal defects

where personnel engage in acts of dishonesty, greed, brutality, or individual acts of

corruption. Personnel who engage to these kinds of activity must be disciplined or

removed in order not to create a wrong notion that the organization condones such

activities.

Deviant behaviors:

a. Brutality – Individual police brutality is often a product of immaturity.

Institutionalized brutality is a by-product of poor training, peer support and

lax/incompetent supervision.

b. Abuse of Authority

c. Lying- examples: Falsifying Reports, Falsifying Evidence, Cover-up and

Lying in Court

d. Sexual Misconduct
e. Extortion.

f. Sexual liaisons.

g. Theft of Property

h. Bribery

I. Alcohol/Drug abuse

j. Deliberate Inefficiency

k. Corruption – refers to the misuse of police authority for personal gain. The

term police corruption is often used in reference to all kind of wrongful police conduct,

including police brutality or excessive use of force, racial discrimination and perjury.

The following are forms of Police Corruption:

1) Negotiable graft. It is the mutual bargaining behavior engaged in between

officers and criminals.

2) Extortion. It is the practice of solicitation of money or favors by officers in

return for ignoring violations of law.

3) Acceptance of petty bribes. It happens most of the time in the roads.

4) Taking kickbacks and similar rewards. It is the money or something of

value given to the officer by a “business” in exchange for consideration.

5) Opportunistic theft. This is a theft that arises naturally out of the

performance of an officer’s routine duties.

6) Taking bribes from other officers. It is the falsification of attendance

records, influence vacations and day offs, and reports them present even if they are not.
Police view: Most policemen treated corruption as subject to be avoided.

Though most recognize corruption to be a chronic problem, not all concede that it is a

serious one.

Public View: Police wrongdoings often arouse a public a feeling of betrayal.

Citizens expect officers to be trustworthy and dependable.

Organizational challenges- organizational challenges to police ethics are more

difficult to deal with. In such instances, the organization has adopted unethical and

unprofessional police standards. The organization has permitted or has participated in

various forms of police misconduct such as extortion, solicitation of bribes, collection of

unauthorized payments, police brutality and even homicide to maintain power.

Example: Dysfunctions in leadership and management

5. Legal Basis:

a. United Nation Code of Law Enforcement Officials

Article 1: Law enforcement officials shall at all times fulfill the duty imposed

upon them by law, by serving and protecting all persons against illegal acts, consistent

with the high degree of responsibility required by their profession.

Article 2: In the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials shall

respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all

persons.

Article 3: Law enforcement may use force only when strictly necessary and

to the extent required for the performance of their duty.

Article 4: Matters of a confidential nature in the possession of law

enforcement official shall be kept confidential, unless the performance of duty or the

needs of justice strictly requires otherwise.

Article 5: No law enforcement o any act official may inflict, instigate or

tolerate any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

nor may any law enforcement official invoke superior orders…as justification of torture

or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6: Law enforcement officials shall ensure the full protection of the

health of the persons in their custody and, in particular, shall take immediate action to

secure medical attention whenever required.

Article 7: Law enforcement officials shall not commit any act of corruption.

They shall rigorously oppose and combat all such acts.

Article 8: Law enforcement officials shall respect the law and present Code.

They shall also, to the best of their capability, prevent and rigorously oppose any

violation of them.

b. Section 1, Art XI (Philippine Constitution)

“Public office is a public trust”. Public officers and employees must at all times

be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty

and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”

c. PNP Police Professional Conduct

1) Commitment to Democracy. They shall commit themselves to the

democratic way of life and values and maintain the principle of public accountability.

2) Commitment to public interest. They shall always uphold public interest

over and above personal interest.

3) Non-partisanship. They shall provide services to everyone without

discrimination.

4) Physical Fitness and Health. They shall strive to be mentally fit and in

good health at all times.

5) Secrecy Discipline. They shall guard the confidentiality of classified

information against unauthorized disclosure.

6) Social awareness. They and their immediate family members shall be

encourage to actively get involved in religious, social and civic activities without

affecting their official duties.

7) Non-solicitation of Patronage. They shall seek self-improvement through

career development and shall not directly or indirectly solicit influence or

recommendation from politicians, high ranking government officials, prominent citizens,

persons affiliated with civic or religious organizations with regards to their assignment,

promotions and transfer nor shall they initiate any petition to be prepared and presented

by citizens in their behalf.

8) Proper care and Use of Public Property. They shall promote and maintain a

sense of responsibility in the protection, proper care and judicious disposition and use

or entrusted to their care and custody.

9) Respect for Human Rights. They shall respect and protect human dignity

and uphold human rights of all persons.

10) Devotion to Duty. They shall perform their duties with dedication

thoroughness, efficiency enthusiasm, determination and manifest concern for public

welfare and shall refrain from engaging in any activity which shall be in conflict with their

duties as public servants.

11) Conservation of Natural Resources. They shall help in the development

and conservation of our natural resources for ecological balance and posterity.

12) Discipline. They shall conduct themselves properly at all times in keeping

with the rules and regulations.

13) Loyalty. They shall be loyal to the Constitution and the police service.

14) Obedience to Superiors. They shall obey lawful orders of & be courteous

to superior officers and other appropriate authorities within the chain of command.

15) Command Responsibility. They shall be responsible for the effective

supervision, control and direction of their personnel.

d. PNP Police Officer’s Creed

1. I believe in God, the Supreme Being, the Great Provider and the Creator of

all men and every dear to me.

2. I believe that respect for authority is a duty.

3. I believe in selfless love and service to people.

4. I believe in the sanctity of marriage and family life.

5. I believe in the responsible dominion and stewardship over material things.

6. I believe in the wisdom of truthfulness.

6. Essential principles in the use of any Power and Authority:

a. Legality

b. Necessity

c. Proportionality

SUMMARY:

The values that constitute police ethics and the application of ethical standards to

the police service are among the most important parts of police work. Every police

service and police officials has an affirmative duty to promote, defend, and respect the

kind of values and standards expressed in the United Nation Code of Conduct for Law

Enforcement Officials. Additionally, every PNP official has a duty to carry out the

requirements set forth in the PNP Code of Police Professional Conduct and the PNP

Police Officer’s Creed.

Police officers are given immense authority and responsibility. That is why

superiors must act as role model to subordinates to promote loyalty and dedication to

the profession. The code of protective silence must not be the hindrance; appropriate

action must be given immediately to those who engage in unethical conduct or criminal

activity. Good cops should not protect bad cops as they constantly bring shame to the

organization.

Though policemen are face with so many temptations throughout their careers. It

is expected that they have to live with their consciences. They must be responsible to

themselves and to their profession because true dedication to the ethics makes

temptations easier to resist.

ACTIVITY (CASE ANALYSIS):

Think about the following circumstances and ask yourself what to do about it?
Your team leader is reported to you to be extorting money from the store owners on

your beat. What should you do?

An officer under the supervision of one of your colleagues has been caught receiving

and selling stolen goods. His COP did not know about the activity, but he is now going

to be disciplined for the conduct of his subordinate. Do you think this is right?

You discover that some members of your team pay other officers to do their job such as

duty detail during nighttime. What should you do?