President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants to break the long-standing mindset that children should not be outside late at night due to safety risks, tasking the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure that streets are secure enough to change that perception.

“Now, it’s like Caesar’s wife. You’re not just safe. It’s not sufficient that you are safe. You must feel safe. Even if the statistics are telling you crime rate is down, drug seizures are up, that’s not enough,” President Marcos said in his latest podcast interview broadcast on Wednesday.

“People should feel comfortable to walk in the night around their neighborhood. That they can send their child to the sari-sari store. ‘Yun ang kailangan,” the President added.

President Marcos instructed PNP Chief P/Gen. Nicolas Torre III and the more than 220,000 police personnel to work hard to gain public trust.

“In terms of the police, isa lang ang iniisip ko: that people are safe… And then, I saw that Nick Torre is effective at that. And so that’s why in the end, we chose him for PNP chief,” President Marcos said.

The Chief Executive said the strategies Torre has implemented to comply with his order are starting to take effect.

The strategies include sending law enforcers who used to be stationed in police boxes to conduct more patrols and respond quickly to calls for assistance made through the emergency hotline 911.

“Nararamdaman na kaagad,” President Marcos noted.

On Monday, President Marcos was given a firsthand view of how police officers responded within 5 minutes, and even within 3 minutes, to emergency calls.

“That’s the only way to regain the trust. And that’s the only way that people will feel safe. Kahit anong mangyari dito, si patrolman ganyan-ganyan, nandiyan lang ‘yan. Isang tawag lang ‘yan, tatakbo na rito ‘yan. That’s what we’re looking for,” the President stressed. | PND