By Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY – Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Director Sofronio Ecaldre reminded all Filipinos in yesterday’s 116th Independence Day celebration all Filipinos to honor the sacrifices made by the country’s forefathers to attain independence.
“We are here to celebrate Independence Day because we value the independence won for us by our brave forefathers from foreign colonizers.
The independence that we enjoy now, we owed it from our forefathers who sacrificed their lives to save us from the bondage of slavery,” Ecaldre said, adding that “our freedom will be lost if we, who are present today will not take care of it.”
“Kung marami ang mga taong naghihirap dahil sa corruption, kung may mga taong nagsasamantala sa kalikasan, at kung may mga taong nasa kapangyarihan ay patuloy na nagsasamantala sa mga mahihirap-- mawawala lamang ang kalayaang ito (If many people suffer due to corruption, if people destroy the environment, and if powerful men continue to abuse the poor, this freedom will be lost),” Ecaldre pointed out.
“What we truly need today is a liberation from those things that still hold us in bondage.”
Meanwhile, Ecaldre informed the public on the Integrated Transformation Program (ITP), the transformation roadmap of the agency implemented in 2003, which serves as the organization’s roadmap to lasting change aimed at transforming the PNP into a more capable, effective, and credible police agency.
Ecaldre said the ITP was implemented to improve the low credible status of the PNP to the public.
The police chief, however, admits that the program could not be implemented successfully sans the active support and cooperation of communities, government agencies and other stakeholders.)
