Strengthening Our Police and Security Forces through Jesus Christ

“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4)

Before the Covid 19 pandemic hit the country, FOCIM under the umbrella of Mandaluyong Christian Churches Assembly had been actively involved in the discipleship campaign for the policemen in Mandaluyong City. The idea of the Body of Christ helping in the reform efforts of the police force dated back to the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, when he launched the Philippine National Police Moral Recovery Program. It became an intermittent undertaking through the years, and was revived by the PNP leadership 2 years back. Christian pastors and elders took part as Life Coaches in PNP Squadding, a weekly 2-hour session conducted in police precincts. Emphasized in these sessions was the spiritual component in the reform drive, along the overarching theme of “God-centered, Service Oriented and Family Based PNP Personnel”. Bible verses became the bases of discussions on moral and spiritual issues and family values.

Our involvement in PNP Squadding sparked the idea of extending the exercise to a group of (also) uniformed men and women that comprise the Security Force in our condominium community, the California Garden Square in Mandaluyong city with its 8 clusters of 3 buildings each. Before the pandemic restrictions hit the community, we were regularly holding Monday bible study/fellowship session every 6am that lasted an hour or so before the guards proceeded to their respective posts or went home from their night duty. And while in the PNP Squadding, we were rather constrained from actively promoting our Christian Church affiliation (in deference to Catholics and Muslim policemen), no such limitation was imposed by the condo Security Force. Thus, we were able to pick and discuss certain topics relevant to rules enforcement from the Police Squadding Manual, and at the same time fully make use of our FOCIM Roots Manual.

Jimmy Trijo, an officer in-charge of the Security Force, has been one of the most active in organizing our bible study sessions. He said he’s happy to have known more deeply the truth in and about Jesus; that such knowledge affected his soul and caused him to love the Lord much more. He took the initiative of organizing a Facebook group chat, where we post Christian topics and where we shared the Sunday online worship services of FOCIM.

Glen Mailwas used to be assigned in our condo cluster more than a dozen years ago as our security guard. He is now the CGS chief security and was mainly instrumental in organizing the participation of his subordinates in our sessions, and their attendance to our FOCIM Sunday Worship Services. When we first talked to Glen about the idea of a group bible study among his security guards, he was clearly enthusiastic. “Gusto rin naming mapalawak ang aming kaalaman tungkol sa Panginoon at mapalapit sa Kanya”. He was not disappointed. “Napakaganda at mapalad kami na makarinig at mapaunawaan ng mga salita ng Diyos, laluna sa katulad namin na halos lahat ng oras ay nagugol sa trabaho, at kung day off naman ay sa pamilya”. Glen saw positive changes in those who were able to attend regularly our activities. “Napansin ko ang pag improve ng pananaw nila sa kanilang sarili at sa kanilang pamiya. Higit sa lahat, napakalaki ng kabutihang ipinapakita nila sa kanilang trabaho”. Glen resides with his family in Trece Martires City in Cavite with wife and 3 children. He wishes to continue with the bible study and the fellowship sessions, as soon as the situation permits. God willing, it will happen.