CHAPTER 7

MEMORANDUM AND ENDORSEMENT LETTER

MEMORANDUM
It is a note, a reminder, or a statement that one wishes to remember or preserve for
future use. It evolved from a Latin term memorandus which means to be remembered or
memorare to remind. Its various tense forms may be done by shortening memorandum to
memo so that conjugation can be done like memoing, memos and memoed. Memorandum is
definitely singular while its plural form may be memoranda or memorandums.

TONES OF MEMORANDUM

There is no strict rule governing the tone of memorandum. However, the tone usually
differs in accordance with the person or persons reading it. From a chief of office to his
subordinates, the tone is impersonal, i.e., “for guidance and strict compliance.” From a writer
sending a memorandum to someday of equal rank, the tone is casually personal, i.e., “The
undersigned notice changes in …” A subordinate police officer writing a memorandum to a
higher police officer uses a more formal tone, i.e., “For info and request acknowledgement.”

In other government agencies similar to police offices, using FOR and TO is commonly
practiced. The “MEMORANDUM FOR:” is used if sent to a superior officer; the “MEMORANDUM
TO:” is used if sent to subordinate officers. Police organization adopt memorandums in the
following general usage: to inform; to answer; to record a significant event; for special reports;
basic transmittal, etc.

1. MEMORANDUM FOR is used by a subordinate official in communicating to a

superior on matters which are recommendatory/advisory or informative
in nature, briefings, or reports. The tone of the memorandum from a
subordinate office must be formal.Officials of equal positions shall use
MEMORANDUM FOR in inter-office communications but the tone may be
personal.
2. MEMORANDUM TO is used by a superior or higher office/position to a
 subordinate office/position. This is used to issue administrative instructions to a
subordinate that requires compliance by or information of the majority or all of
the subordinate offices or personnel in the same office/unit. It may also be of
limited application such as those directed to, or requiring performance or action
by an individual or group within a particular directorate, command, service,
office, station , or unit. The tone of memorandum is impersonal.

GUIDELINES: MEMORANDUM
In order to conform with the civilian character of the PNP, BJMP, and BFP the “subject-
to-letter format” which is the standard military type of communication should not be
used anymore in all correspondence and instead be replaced with the “Memorandum”
format which is the standard and acceptable type among civilian offices.

As per Letter Directive No. 95-09-26 DHRDD,PNP- NHQ dated October 27,1995, the use
of Memoranda and Memorandum from the DHRDD Director dated February 11,1998, is
limited to the preparation of decision papers, proposals, reports, requests and replies to
queries

For distinction however, memorandum shall be used between offices within the PNP,
BJMP, and BFP only. Letters shall be used for communications intended for offices
outside the PNP, BJMP, and BFP.

Memorandums shall be numbered consecutively by calendar years. The first two digits
shall represent the last two digits of the calendar years when the issuance was prepared,
and the number after the hyphen shall represent the serial number of the specific
issuance. The last two digits shall be immediately below the last letter of the issuance
category or type, as MEMORANDUM No.92-9

POSITION AND PLACEMENT

The memorandum is typed on legal or custom-sized bond paper. Only one side of the sheet is
used. Ordinarily, three copies are prepared. One copy accompanies the original, the other copy
is kept for filing. An exception to the rule occurs when a letter is sent from an office not
authorized to keep records, in which case both copies accompany the original, one for the
recipient and the other for the first office of record. Another exception occurs when copies are
furnished to individual organizations. When they arise, instructions are obtained from the chief
or supervisor.

The heading including the addressee appears on the upper third of the sheet, so that the paper
is folded, the address can be seen through the envelope windows. If the letter has a single
addressee, about five blank spaces between the first line of the body of the letter are needed.
The rule of placement is followed even if a window envelope is not used. The body of the letter
is placed on the lower twothirds of the sheet. It is followed by the complimentary ending.

KINDS OF MEMORANDUMS

1. Recommendation Memorandums

How to think critically as you formulate, evaluate, and refine your conclusions and
recommendations:
o Conclusions should be logically derived from accurate interpretations. Recommendations
should propose an appropriate response to the problem or question.
o Express your conclusions and recommendations with assurance and authority. Be direct
and assertive. Let the reader know where you stand.
o If your analysis yields nothing definite, do not force a simplistic conclusion on your
material. Instead, explain your position. Remember, a wrong recommendation is far
worse than no recommendation at all.

2. Justification Memorandums
As the name implies, it justifies the writer‟s position on some issue. It is a unique class of
recommendation memo. They are often initiated by the writer rather than requested by the
readers. Justification reports therefore typically begin rather than end with the request or
 recommendation. Such memo answer the key questions for readers: Why should we?

Typically, it follows a version of this arrangement:

1. State the problem and your recommendations for solving it.
2. Point out the cost, savings, and benefits of your plan.
3. If needed, explain how your suggestions can be implemented.
4. Conclude by encouraging the reader to act.

3. Progress report
It serves as a paper trail on a project.

Summarize achievements to date

Describes work remaining, with timetable

Describes the problems encountered
4. Survey Report
It examines the conditions that affect an organization.




5. Memorandum to Inform -

6. Memorandum to Answer a Question

7. Memorandum to Record a Significant Event

8. Memorandum Serving as a Decision Paper

PARTS OF MEMORANDUM

I. Heading. All the materials above the first line of the body comprise the heading. These
areoffice origin, address, file reference, identifying initials, date, subject, channels through
which the letter will pass, and addressee to whom the letter is being written.

a) Letter head Example:

Republic of the Philippines

National Police Commission
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
SANTA ROSA POLICE STATION
Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija

b) File Reference. It is called the office symbol. A file reference is placed on the first
margin, usually two spaces below the letter head. It varies according to the individual
item of correspondence. Each part of the reference is also used as identifying information
on the second andsubsequent pages. Example: CCPS-IN
c) Identifying Initials. Some offices place the surname or the initials of theoriginator and
typist of the letter.
Example: MLVFRJR/ogs/600-3752
d) Addressee. The addressee preceded by “MEMORANDUM FOR” or “MEMORANDUM TO”
is written in block style, with open punctuation, and is normally placed before the file
reference.
Example: MEMORANDUM FOR: Provincial Director, NEPPO
Example: MEMORANDUM FOR: SP04 Juan Santos Crus 031740 PN
e) In Turn Addressee. When letters are routed to several addressees, the entire address
of each office is placed on a single line as much as possible. Example: MEMORANDUM
TO: Chief, PPHRDB/PIIB/POPB/PCRB/PFLB Example: MEMORANDUM TO: Provincial
Directors, BPPO/NEPPO

f) Attention Line. For faster routing, correspondence maybe addressed tothe individual or
the head of a subdivision or by the use of an office symbol. The name is used only when
there is a special reason for calling the attention of the individual known to handle the
type of correspondence concerned, and when it is known that hewill be at the address.
Examples:
 i. Addressed to the attention of an individual.

MEMORANDUM TO: Chief of Police, SRPS

(Attn: SP04 Juan S. Cruz PNP)

ii. Addressed to the attention of the head of office.

MEMORANDUM TO: Chief of Police, SRPS
(Attn: Chief, Opns & Plans Sec)

iii. Addressed to the attention of the head of a unitor command by the

use of an office symbol.

MEMORANDUM TO: Chief of Police, SPRPS

(Attn: OPS)

g) Sender or Originator. The sender or originator preceded by the word “FROM” is

written in block style, with open punctuation, and normally placed below the
addressee. Example: FROM: Chief of Police, SRPS

h) Subject. The subject line should contain no more than 10words. It starts
two spaces below the sender and two spaces to the right of the colon. Example:
SUBJECT: SPECIAL REPORT RE HOMICIDE WITH RAPE TRANSPIRED AT BRGY
RIZAL THIS CITY

i) Date. The date is placed below the subject.

Example: DATE: June 1, 2020

II. Body. The body of the letter is the message itself. It is the substance of the typed
letter as distinguished from the beginning and ending.
1) Paragraphing
2) Abbreviations

3) References Example: Special Report this station dated June 1, 2020

reHomicide with Rape at Brgy Bonifacio, Cabanatuan City.

4) Page Numbering

5) Dividing aParagraph
III. Complimentary Ending. This refers to the material found below the last
paragraph of the body. It consists of the authority line if used, signature, list of
enclosures and copies being furnished.
1. Authority Line
If signing for a chief or head of office andaddressed to members
under him.
BY AUTHORITY OF POLICE SUPERINTENDENT GUIBONG:
EFRENILO FAJARDO RESTUA
Police Inspector Deputy Chief of Police
If not addressed to a member under him.
FOR THE CHIEF OF POLICE:
EFRENILO FAJARDO RESTUA
Police Inspector Deputy Chief of Police

Note: A staff may sign under authority line only when

authorized to do so.
2. Signature
3. Enclosures are supplementary documents which are sent with the
communication to provide additional information. Example:
Enclosures: - Crime Scene Sketch - Pictures of Crime Scene
4. Copy Furnished Other Offices
Example: Copy Furnished: RD, PROs D, NSUs
GUIDELINES IN MEMORANDUM FORMATTING

1) Subject Line. Announce the memo‟s purpose of contents, to orient readers to the
subject and help them assess its importance. An explicit title also makes filing by
subject easier.
2) Introductory Paragraph. Unless you have reason for being indirect, state your
main point immediately.
3) Topic headings. Headings help you organize and they help readers locate
information quickly.
4) Body. Interpret findings and draws conclusions, make general recommendations,
expand on each recommendation, and discuss benefits of following the
recommendations
5) Signature Block. The signature appears above the printed name at the signature
block below, not after the line or sender line above. A signature authenticates,
corroborates, confirms, attests or certifies the correctness, truthfulness or veracity of
the content of the instrument by which the signature is affixed. A signature likewise
carries responsibility or accountability over the statement or information indicated
before it.
6) Paragraph Spacing. Indent the first line of paragraphs. Single space within
paragraphs and double space between them.
7) Second Page Headings. When the memo exceeds one page, begin the second
and subsequent pages with recipient‟s name, date, and page number.
Example:
Sgt. Co, June12, 2007, page 2.
Place this information three lines from the page top and begin your
text three lines below.
8) Copy Notation. When sending copies to people not listed on the “To” line, include
a copy notation two spaces below the last line, and list, by rank, the names and
titles of those receiving copies.

RECORDS OF INTERMEDIATE RECIPIENT

All intermediate recipients of a communication should make a record of

such communication only when an office of record is inaccessible and when the
retention of a brief current record of the communication is necessary. Such record shall
show only the minimum requisites information. Except in unusual circumstances, no
copy of the letter itself will be made. Notation for record purposes of secret materials
should be such that the content of the letter is safeguarded.

SPECIAL HANDLING

Correspondence sometimes requires special handling. When it is necessary,

words such as “Air Mail,” “Special Delivery,” etc., are stamped, or typed on the center
of the top and bottom of the first page.

 ASSEMBLING

1. Outgoing letters are relevant papers should be arranged from top to bottom
and fastened with paper clips, as follows:

o Outgoing letter on top.

o Copy of outgoing letter, if any.

o Enclosures and copies, in numerical sequence.

Information copies of outgoing letter, if any, with enclosures, when applicable.

2. The file copy and relevant papers should be arranged from top to bottom as
follows:

a. File copy of outgoing letter on top. If consisting of more than one-page,

last page on top.

b. Correspondence, or synopsis to which reply has been, made, if any.

c. Copies of enclosures, if any, in numerical sequence.

d.
ENDORSEMENT

An endorsement letter is a reply or a forwarding statement usually added to a

letter; An endorsement is meant to furnish information, comment, or
recommendation. The use of the third person, such as: “the writer”, “the undersigned”,
“this unit”, or “this office” is prescribed to achieve objectivity; This is not a personal
matter; it is an official one whereinthe sender acts on a particular problem in
behalf of their agency he belongs to. Endorsements are numbered consecutively,
starting with 1st. A civilian endorsement is typed below the sender‟s address, or usually
added to a letter; An endorsement is meant to furnish information, comment, or
recommendation;

The use of the third person, such as: “the writer”, “the undersigned”, “this unit”,
or “this office” is prescribed to achieve objectivity; This is not a personal matter; it is an
official one wherein the sender acts on a particular problem in behalf of their agency he
belongs to. Endorsements are numbered consecutively, starting with 1st. A civilian
endorsement is typed below the sender‟s address, or heading, or letterhead, and above
the dateline, which is also above the text. Hence, a communication being endorsed
to a superior office shall use “Respectfully forwarded”, or “Respectfully
submitted”, and never “……. referred”, or “……. transmitted”. If sent to an office
of equal rank, it is “Respectfully transmitted”; to subordinate units,
“Respectfully referred”. Correspondence returned to an office where it originated or
where it has been recordeduse “Respectfully returned” regardless of the rank of the
office concerned. Starting with the word “Respectfully”, whether submitted,
forwarded, transmitted, referred, or returned, the text which is usually composed of
one paragraph should be brief, accurate, clear, and definitely following
grammar rules.8

8
 CHAPTER 8
LETTERS/CORRESPONDENCE9

FORMAL AND INFORMAL LETTER

Letters are a form of verbal and written communication, which contains information or
message, send by one party to another, to convey the message. It is sent by one party to
another, to provide certain important information. There are two types of letters, i.e. formal
letters and informal letters. The formal letter is written for business or professional
purposes with a specific objective in mind. It uses simple language, which can be easy to
read and interpret.
On the contrary, informal letters are written to friends and relative for personal
communication and use a casual or an emotional tone. The article excerpt presents you all
the important differences between formal and informal letters in a detailed manner.

Formal Letters
A formal letter is any letter written in the professional language, with a prescribed format for
a formal purpose, i.e. it can be a recommendation letter, enquiry letter, complaint letter,
cover letter and so on. All business letters are formal, but vice versa is not possible. Such
letters are used for a variety of reasons like a formal invitation, proposal, reference, making
a complaint or inquiry, applying for a job. While writing a formal letter one should keep in
mind the following things:

 It should be in specified format.

 It should avoid the use of unnecessary words.
 It should be straight to the point.
 It should be relevant and objective.
 It should be complex and thorough.
 It should be polite, even if it is a complaint letter.
 It should be free from any mistakes, i.e. grammatical or spelling.
 There are three types of formal letters, i.e. business letters, letters for outlining civic
9
https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-formal-and-informal-
letter.html
 problems and job applications.

Informal Letters
An informal letter is a letter written to someone; we know fairly well. The letter can be used
for some reasons like conveying message, news, giving advice, congratulate recipient,
request information, asking questions, etc. It is a personal letter, written to whom you are
familiar with, like friends, siblings, parents or any other closed one. There is no specific
format prescribed for writing this letter.
While writing an informal letter, one can afford to be friendly, and make use personal or
emotional tone. Slang or colloquial terms, codes, abbreviations, etc. can also be used at the
time of writing it, depending on the familiarity with the recipient.

FORMAL LETTER INFORMAL LETTER

Meaning A formal letter is a letter, written in A letter written in an friendly

formal language, in the stipulated manner, to someone you are
format, for official purpose. familiar with, is called informal letter.

Objective Professional Communication Personal Communication

Format Written in prescribed format only. No prescribed format.

Written in First person - Business letters, third First, second or third person.
person - others.

Written to Business, college/institute, Friends, family, acquaintances etc.

employer, organizations, etc.

Voice Passive Active

Sentences Long and complex Short and simple

Size Concise Large or concise

Contractions and Avoided Used

Abbreviations
Formal Letter Format
A formal letter has a format which needs to be followed. A typical formal letter format is has the
following:
1. Sender‟s address
2. Date
3. Name / Designation of Addressee
4. Address of the Addressee
5. Salutation
6. Subject
7. Body – Introduction, Content, Conclusion
8. Complimentary Close
9. Signature / Name of the Sender
10. Designation of the Sender
Letter Formats
1. Block format
Block format features all elements of the letter aligned to the left margin of the
page. It has a neat and simple appearance.
2. Modified block format
Modified block differs from block style in that the date, sign off, and signature lines
begin at the center point of the page line.
3. Semi-block format
Semi-block is similar to block but has a more informal appearance. All elements are left-aligned,
except for the beginning of each paragraph which is indented.
 CHAPTER 9

Civilian Letter10

CIVILIAN LETTER

Letter refers to a message in writing, which may be in any language or in a code,

contained in a sealed or unsealed envelope or not in an envelope at all intended for
delivery to a person or entity displayed legibly on one of its faces.
A civilian letter is used when communicating with the president of the country,
cabinet members, local officials and business personalities; or outside the organization.

Its paragraphing is not numbered, not unless in tabulation and enumeration.

PARTS OF ACIVILIAN LETTER

 Heading. A type or a printed letterhead may be used. It includes the writer‟s office and
office address. Abbreviations shall not be made for the city, municipality and province.
 File Reference. The use of identifying file reference is optional on the instructions issued by
the chief or head of office. If everused, it is placed at the left margin two spaces below
the letterhead, and in line with, and below, the current date.
 Dateline
 Inside Address. The addressee‟s name should be written fully. It should always be preceded
by a courtesy title, except in cases of M.D., Ph.D.,and a few others.
 Attention Line. To speed up handling of the letter, the attention line is used when the letter is
addressed to a company or to a particular department of a company or to an individual aside
from the addressee. The name mentioned immediately after the attention line is the final
receiver of the letter. The letter is only coursed through the person mentioned in the inside
address. Coursing the letter to the addressee means that he is superior to the person mentioned
after the attention line; therefore, as a matter of protocol should know official matters
communicated to his subordinates. Once the inside addressee received the letter and forwards
the same to his subordinate, he has likely attested, consented or approved the purpose of the
documents. A letter using an attention line comes from other organization or outside party not
10
Basic Police Report Writing By Oscar Gatchalian Sorian
 connected with the office of the addressee.

Example:
MR. MIKE A. MARIANO
Manager
Best Enterprise
15 Narra St., Commonwealth 1108 Quezon City

Attention: MISS JAZZ HERNANDEZ

Chief
Marketing Division

 Salutation. The salutation greets the reader and the greeting may be formalor informal, cordial
or personal
 Subject Line. The subject line is the gist of the message. It helps a very busy person find out
in a split second what the letter is all about.
 Body. The body is the message itself. In it, one of the problems that may confront a
correspondent is paragraphing. This, however,does not pertain to the appearance of the
message; but rather,to its contents. A correspondent gets focused on how to end and how to
begin another paragraph.
 Complimentary Clause. A complimentary clause is usually followed by a comma, and
comes immediately after the last line of the message. The first word starts with a capital letter.
 Company Signature. In civilian letter, a company signature may be shown
immediately above the writer‟s signature, based on the theory that the company, not
the writer, is the legal entity. In other words, the company assumes a greater
responsibility than the individual; otherwise, the company signature is omitted,
especially if including it is not a standard policy of the firm.
 Reference Initials. Initials of the writer and his typist or secretary appear atthe left
of the stationary, about two spaces below the writer‟s identification. These initials are
aligned with the left margin of the letter.
 Enclosure Notation. This notation refers to anything sent with the basic
communication.
 Postscript (P.S.). If a writer has forgotten something in the message, he adds a
P.S. it is intended to attract attention. The postscript may be flushed with the letter
 margins or may be intended fives spaces from both margins.
 Copy Furnished. When one or two copies are furnished, a carbon copy (cc) notation
is indicated on the original and all copies of the letter.
 Through Line. This part appears in the letter if the sender is a subordinate who writes to a
person higher in position than his immediate superior. It is a protocol that communications
should pass through channels. These channels represent the hierarchy of a system, the persons
who should have knowledge regarding the content of any letter communicated to any persons in
the higher levels of an organization.
DR. ANAMARIE O. CORTEZ
President Retailers Bank
Quezon Avenue 1108 Quezon City

Through: LUCILA M. SANDOVAL

Chief
Account Division

TYPES OF CIVILIAN LETTERS

✓ Information Letter
✓ Invitation Letter
✓ Invitation Refusal
✓ Claim Letter
✓ Adjustment Letter
✓ Request Letter
✓ Transmittal Letter
✓ Credit Application Letter
✓ Order Letter
✓ Letter of Inquiry
✓ Recommendation Letter
✓ Reference Letter
✓ Application Letter
 ✓ Condolence Letter
✓ Appointment Letter

QUALIFICATION SUMMARY

The qualification summary, sometimes called a resume‟, a

personal record, or even a data sheet, states in brief the qualifications
of the applicant. This usually contains the position applied for,
experience, educational attainment and references. These four items
when systematically arranged shouldattract the reader‟s attention.

GENERAL RULES ON SPACING

1. On standard 8.5 by 11-inch stationary, the date is usually typed

on line 15 with the inside address typed five lines below.

2. One blank line is left before the salutation, each paragraph, the
complimentary close, the company signature,if used.
3. If an attention line or a subject line is included, oneblank
line precedes and follows these parts.
4. The writer‟s identification should be preceded by at least three
blank lines to allow room for the signature.
5. At least one blank line usually separates the writer‟s
identification from the reference initials.
6. Generally, no blank line separates the reference initials from
enclosure and carbon notations.
7. A postscript, if used is preceded by one blank line.

GENERAL RULES ON MARGINAL SPACES

1. The left margin of a letter should be straight whether it is

penwritten or typewritten.
 2. Because it is impossible to achieve a straight line for the right
margin, the writer must exercise care and good
judgment in driving words at the ends of the lines to prevent the
page from having a ragged appearance.
3. When the letter is very short, the margin should increase, and
the letter placed far enough from the top of the pageto allow
it to occupy the middle of the page.
4. For an average-length letter, from 100-150 words, it may be
written on a page when double-spacing is used and the marginal
stops are set so as to make the lines fifty spaces in length.
5. In a 200-300-word or more letter, the same length line maybe
used, but single-spaced. Double- spacing between paragraphs
should be used if the desire is to accommodate the whole
message on one page.
6. If a message cannot be accommodated on one page, a second
page may be used, having the same side margins as the first
page.
7. In a continuation page, the top margin should be one inch, the
first line to be typed on line 7, and approximately the same
length, if not more at the bottom margin.

CONTINUATION PAGE

A very modern treatment of a continuation page notation in civilian

letters is best illustrated in “English for Business.” This book shows the addressee‟s
name, with initiated first name, (but definitely not the surname), page number, and
date, that appear on the first page – all types toward the top margin. These items
may be typed vertically or horizontally. Just like memorandums, civilian letters use
plain stationery, not printed letterhead for the second and succeeding pages. They
also follow the same rules regarding division of paragraphs.

FOLDING CORRESPONDENCE

For an 8.5 by 11-inch stationery to be folded in a short envelope, here are

some accepted procedures:

1. Place the sheet flat on the desk, with its face up and itsbottom
toward the writer.
2. Fold the bottom toward top, bringing the lower edge to
within onehalf inch of the top.
3. Fold the bottom right to left a little more than one-thirdof the
within of the sheet.

4. Finally, fold the remaining from left to right

ARRANGEMENT AND STYLE

The study committee on police correspondence and issuance,

under the Directorate for Plans and Programs, National headquarters,
Philippine National Police, has chosen the Blocked Letter and
SemiBlocked Letter styles. These two styles are very similar in
appearance, except in the paragraphing portion. Typist use the blocked
letter if the text is composed of more than nine lines, and the semi-
blocked letter, if less than nine lines.

THE ENVELOPE

1. The mailing address is begun half way down and half way across.
2. Two-line addresses must be avoided by typing the province and ZIP code
number, if any, on a separate line from the city or municipality, or a street
from a municipality or city.
 3. A three-line addresses is double-spaced; if more than three lines, single-
spaced.
4. The attention line is type on the lower left corner of the enveloped.
5. A special mailing service, i.e., “Airmail,” “Special Delivery,” etc. is indicated
below the stamp.
6. A return address is typed on the upper left corner, not on the back of the
envelope, if there is no printed return address.11

11
 CHAPTER 11

POLICE BLOTTER12

Introduction

Circular Number 05 issued by the General Headquarters, Philippine National Police, dated
December 10, 1992, is the rule “Prescribing a Uniform Police Blotter for the Philippine
National Police.” This rule shall be followed by the different police offices and units
throughout the country in making an entry of events and incidents on the police blotter.

DEFINITION

A police blotter is a record of daily events occurring within the territories and jurisdictions of
a given police unit or command. It contains material details concerning the event for legal,
and statistical purposes.

FORM AND SIZE

The police blotter shall be a record book bound with hard cover and shall be 12 inches by 16
inches in size. The front cover of the blotter shall contain the name or designation of the
police force and particular police district or station, together with the designation of the
specific police unit or substation, the volume or book number, the series number and the
period covered.

CONTENTS OF ENTRY

The entry in the police blotter should answer the following:

1. Who

2. What

3. Why

4. Where

12
Basic Police Report Writing By Oscar Gatchalian Sorian
 5. When

6. How

7. Disposition of the case

In answering the 5W‟s and 1H and the case disposition., all details about the event,
including the name/s of the suspect; name/s of the victim; eyewitnesses, if any, the nature
of the action or offense; the possible motive; the place; the date and time of occurrence;
significant circumstances that aggravate or mitigate the event or the crime should be
entered along with the identity of the officer to whom the case is assigned-officer-on-case;
and the status of the case.

The following shall be entered in the police blotter:

1. Violations of laws and ordinances reported and recorded:

2. All calls in which ¢ any member of the PNP is dispatched. or takes official action; ~

3. All fire alarms, reports and information received by the stations;

4. Movements of prisoners with corresponding notations _on the authority for such
movements;

5. Cases of missing and found persons, animals and . Property;

6. Vehicular and other types of accidents which require police action;

7. All personal injuries, bodies found, and suicides;

8. Damage to property;

9. All cases in which a police member i is involved;

10. All arrests and returns made: and

MAINTENANCE OF POLICE BLOTTER

Police Blotter Each PNP operating unit shall maintain an official police blotter where all types of
operational and undercover dispatches shall be recorded containing the five “Ws” (who, what,
where, when and why) and one “H” (how) of an information. A Police blotter is a logbook that
contains the daily registry of all crime incident reports, official summaries of arrest, and other
signifi cant events reported in a police station.

Police Blotter for Cases involving Women and Children A separate Police Blotter, however, shall
be maintained for crime incident reports involving violence against women and children and
those cases involving a child in conflict with the law to protect their privacy pursuant to
Republic Act (RA) 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004) and RA 9344
(Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006), respectively.

Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) Each PNP operating unit shall also maintain and utilize
the PNP Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS), an electronic reporting system that facilitates
crime documentation, modernizes data storage and provides quick and reliable transmission of
crime information from lower units and NOSUs of the PNP to the National Headquarters at
Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Blotter Procedure Before entry into the blotter book, the Duty Officer (DO) should first evaluate
if the report is a crime incident, arrest or event/activity, which is for records purposes only. If
the report is a crime incident, the DO shall first accomplish the Incident Record Form (IRF) from
which the entry in the blotter book and IRS shall be extracted. All other reports shall be
recorded directly to the blotter book. (PNP SOP No. 2012-001 “Incident Recording System”13

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SUPPLY ACCOUNTABILITY

1. GHQ, PNP shall supply police blotters to each PNP command and unit
who shall reflect the same on their property books as accountable items.

2. The PNP Unit Commander shall be responsible for the proper

maintenance, use, safekeeping and accounting of police blotters.

3. Pending procurement and issuance of police blotters by GHQ, PNP, police

forces shall continue to use the present blotter, provided, the forms and
rules shall be followed.
4.
Procedures for Making Entries

1. All entries in the police blotter shall be handwritten in a clear, concise and simple manner but
must answer as far as practicable, the 5Ws and 1H. Clarity should not be sacrificed for brevity.

2. Only facts, not opinions, are entered in the blotter.

3. No erasures shall be made on the entries. Corrections. are made by drawing a horizontal line
over such words or phrases and the actual entry initialed by the police officer _ making the
correction. .

4. A ball pen or pen with blue, black or blue-black ink is _ used for making the entries. |

5. Misrepresentations in the blotter or any attempt to suppress any information is punishable

criminally and administratively.

6. All entries must be legibly written in longhand and Consecutively numbered.

7. Every page of the blotter shall be consecutively or‟ Chronologically filled in. No line or space
shall be left blank „tween any two entries.

8. Any development of a case to be reflected in the blotter Should be a new entry at the time
and day it was reported. A reference to the previous entry number of the case, however, should
be made. 9. During every shift, the Duty Sergeant, under the supervision of the Duty Officer or
Complaint Desk Officer, shall make the actual entries on the blotter and at the end of their tour
of duty, both the Duty Sergeant and Duty Complaint Desk Officer shall sign the blotter.
 CHAPTER 12
Best Practices for Email/SMS Etiquette

What is email etiquette?

Email etiquette refers to the code of conduct that guides behavior when writing
or responding to emails. These principles of behavior can be modified to suit the
intended audience and purpose, and are meant to project professionalism and respect.
Why is email etiquette important?
The way you communicate reflects the type of employee you are, including your
work ethic and attention to detail. Companies may benefit from implementing best
practices for email etiquette for the following reasons:
 Professionalism: Using proper email etiquette conveys a professional image of
your employees and overall organization.
 Efficiency: Emails that adhere to etiquette are direct and concise, and they
convey their message quickly.15

Email Etiquette Guidelines For The Workplace

1. Use standard formatting

Standard fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial, as well as standard colors and
sizes are appropriate for business emails. If you use bold or italics, never use them
on more than one word or a string of words in a single email.

2. Include a clear subject line

Title your email in a way that the recipient immediately knows what the message is
about. For example, if you‟re emailing to follow up on a presentation, you might
write, “Quick question about your presentation.”

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3. Email from a professional email address
Use your company email address if possible. However, if you are self-employed or
using a personal email address for work-related correspondence, make sure that
your email address doesn‟t contain any words that would be considered
unprofessional. If so, then consider setting up a work-only email address.

4. Use professional greetings

Choose a salutation that is appropriate for the relationship you have with the
recipient. If you are sending an email to a coworker, a casual greeting such as
“Hello” may be appropriate. If you‟re contacting someone for the first time or if they
are a professional acquaintance, use a more formal greeting like “Dear Sarah
Atkins.” It‟s recommended to use the person‟s name exactly as it‟s shown in their
email signature line. In other words, don‟t assume that Jennifer goes by Jen unless
you‟ve seen them sign their emails that way.

5. Use an introduction
Depending on who you are emailing, it‟s best to introduce yourself by your first and
last name, as well as the company you are representing, in the first few lines. This is
especially important when emailing new contacts, clients, potential customers or
employers. Let them know how you received their contact information.

Example: “My name is Jessica Franklin and I‟m with White Label Agency.
Mark Gregston gave me your name and suggested I reach out to you regarding your
amazing printing services.”

6. Be cautious with “Reply All”

The benefit of using “Reply all” is that you can respond to everyone at once to let
them know an issue has been addressed. However, when in doubt, use “Reply” to
avoid inundating a list of people with unnecessary emails.
7. Avoid using all caps
Use sentence case as you would for any formal communication, and avoid using all
caps as it can read like you‟re screaming your intentions.

Example: “Anne, it was great seeing you at the meeting. I look forward to
connecting again soon.”

8. Double-check attachments
If you can copy and paste information into an email rather than attaching a
document, do that. If not, let the recipient know in the body of your email that you
have attached a document. It‟s also good etiquette to compress the documents or
attach them in a zip file so it takes up less space in their inbox. In addition, you may
want to consider uploading documents to a shared location and giving the recipient
a link to access them.

9. Proofread
Proper spelling and grammar are important when sending business correspondence
so always proofread your work before you hit send. Likewise, double-check the
spelling of the recipient‟s name and email address. Sometimes autocorrect will alter
names.

10. Don’t use emojis

Unless the recipient has used emojis when communicating with you in the past,
resist the temptation to use them yourself. They can come across as unprofessional
in certain company cultures.

11. Reply within 24 hours

When someone emails you, replying within 24 hours, is common courtesy. If you
have unintentionally passed this timeframe, express your apologies and politely
explain the delay.

12. Keep your tone professional

Think carefully about your word choices in an email and how your
intention may be interpreted. Use positive words, such as
“opportunities” and “challenges” instead of “obstacles” and
“limitations.” Avoid negativity, sarcasm and adjectives that can cause
you to sound overly emotional. Be careful when using humor too, as it
can be misinterpreted.

13. Perfect your email signature

Less is generally more where email signatures are concerned. Your
signature should typically include only your name, job title, company
website and a phone number where you can be reached. 16