“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others!” -Mahatma Gandhi
Inspiring, it is! It may be a cliché for some but the old dictum saying by Jordan Peterson “experience is the best teacher” is indeed true. I feel blessed and more than honored to be acquiring a life lesson – “when I truly commit myself to service excellence, I protect lives!” My unwavering dedication was heightened even more as I and my co-PNPA Cadets join the members of the Baguio City Police Office, City Mobile Force Company 3rd Maneuver Platoon in the conduct of Oplan Bakal Sita last January 23, 2023. [1]Oplan Bakal is basically a police operation in an establishment, normally a bar or nightclub, where policemen enter the place unannounced and conduct a search for firearms that may be in the possession of customers or guests. It is a surprise search so that gun-wielding guests or customers can be caught red-handed. PGEN Eleazar (Ret) (2017) .
This operation is a manifestation of the Philippine National Police’s timeless service excellence. It ignited and fueled my burning passion to be of service to the Filipino mass. It made me realize that true service is not scheduled but rather “timeless”. Timeless in the sense that may it be under the scorching heat of the sun or during the freezing breeze of the night, we ought to wholeheartedly be of service.
As we diligently conduct Oplan Bakal Sita and implement a curfew for minors within Baguio’s central business district, the memoirs of when I was starting this die-hard dream of being a law enforcer tickled the neurons of my hypothalamus – it reminded me of my purpose, of the very essence why I entered the hard-fought Academy and that is to be of service to my countrymen. After all, service to others is what life is all about, for we may be forgotten but our good deeds will be eternal.
Oplan Bakal Sita is one of the Baguio City Police Office, City Mobile Force Company 3rd Maneuver Platoon’s best practices. As I engage in the conduct of this remarkable operation, it is heart-warming to know that our primordial objective is to protect lives! Ultimately, “I may not be a superhero possessing supernatural capabilities, but an ordinary human with the heart to love and serve, the mind that understands, and the hands always ready to help, I am a PNPA Cadet”.
Reference:
Eleazar, P. G. L. T. (2017, September 19). The case for 'Oplan Bakal'. RAPPLER. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/182561-case-oplan-bakal-firearms-qcpd/#:~:text=Oplan%20Bakal%20is%20basically%20a,can%20be%20caught%20red-handed.
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