Meet “SPO1 Mangaldan”
AMBASSADOR OF GOODWILL
MANGALDAN—– Amid the public furor over involvement of policemen in criminal activities that seriously tarnished the image of the men and women in uniform, the police station in Mangaldan has taken that extra step to shore up the image, particularly, of the town’s police force.
Meet “SP01 Mangaldan,” this town’s mascot that serves as the police force’s “ambassador of goodwill” to the communities.
His latest mission was to be part of the stress debriefing sessions last week of students and teachers of Pangasinan National High School in Lingayen town who were traumatized by the shooting rampage by a policeman, Police Officer 3 Domino Alipio, that resulted in the death of three teachers and the wounding of three more teachers and the policeman’s own collection agent.
P/Superintendent Jackie Candelario, the town’s police chief and the creator of the police station’s mascot, the first in Region 1, said SPO1 Mangaldan’s presence cheered up the PNHS and even obliged the students with a dance showdown with them.
SPO1 Mangaldan, a mascot that acts as the ambassador of goodwill of the police, cheers students of Pangasinan National High School. (Photo courtesy of P/Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo).
Many of the students rushed to SPO1 Mangaldan for “selfie” pictures with him in the frame while others cheerily gave him high-fives along the way.
“It was very heartwarming to see the smiles back on the students’ and teachers’ faces after that gory incident in their school,” Candelario said who is on his first assignment as chief of police.
He said he wanted to make them feel that not all policemen are like Alipio and others reported by the media in the EDSA “hulidap” robbery-kidnapping incident.
It was the first out-of-town mission of the mascot upon the invitation of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office led by OIC-Director P/Senior Supt. Reynaldo Biay to help in the stress debriefing sessions of the affected teachers and students for the trauma they experienced in the hands of a policeman.
Launched two months ago, the 6’2” tall SPO1 Mangaldan wears a type B General Office Attire with bull cap and a badge (Candelario’s old badge). The primary aim is to make the people see and feel that they have friendly and reliable policemen whom they can approach and trust, Candelario said.
In Mangaldan, SPO1 Mangaldan regularly moves around malls, church premises, school campuses, barangay halls and in public events distributing flyers on tips on how to prevent crimes, disaster preparedness with emergency hotlines, among others.
“We want our policemen to get closer to the people’s hearts,” he said.
Candelario said he also wants the station’s personnel to emulate and conduct themselves like SPO1 Mangaldan, wearing their uniforms properly and keeping a trim stomach.
SPO1 Mangaldan was only one of his initiatives when he assumed his post on Nov. 22, 2013. He also regularly visited all barangays and hold forums not only to encourage residents to encourage them to report crimes in their communities but to campaign against illegal drugs.
He said the support of the communities today is indicative of the trust the station has earned since.
The police station continues to sponsor “Libreng Gupit” for indigent pupils and its Adopt-A-School, Share- A-Book projects.
He said he hopes SPO1 Mangaldan will remain as his legacy when he finally leaves for his next assignment. (Tita Roces)
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