A Shared Vision in Service

AS PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF POLICE GENERAL ROMMEL MARBIL RETIRES FROM SERVICE, HE LEAVES A LEGACY OF A REFORMED INSTITUTION CENTERED ON THE CONTINUITY OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS INTENDED FOR A SMOOTH DELIVERY OF PNP SERVICE, INTEGRITY, AND BOOSTING THE POLICEMEN’S MORALE.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), whose mission is to enforce laws, prevent and control crimes, maintain peace and order, and ensure public safety and internal security with the active support of the community, has often been in the spotlight of challenges and controversies. It thereby needs a leader whose dedication centers on service and integrity. As PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil approaches the close of his distinguished career, he leaves a legacy of a reformed institution now known for a smooth delivery of services, integrity, and having a force with high morale. As his personal goal alongside his wife is leaving the position unscathed with no corruption record, this value translates to the whole of the PNP—a true-to the-job, simplified police service of crime prevention and crime solution, as well as a trustworthy PNP.

CHIEF MARBIL BELIEVES IN BUILDING ON EXISTING PROGRAMS RATHER THAN STARTING ANEW WITH EACH LEADERSHIP CHANGE, ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSITION, SUSTAINABLE PROGRESS, AND CONTINUITY OF GREAT PROGRAMS IN PLACE.

With a shared vision in service, his wife, Mary Rose Marbil, has supported the PNP chief unwaveringly and has shared the same vision, leading initiatives with heart, humility, and purpose. Her “LAB Virus” initiative has identified and assisted policemen across the country who are sick. The flagship project has certainly nurtured the humanity of each policeman under the project. Together, PNP Chief Marbil and Mrs. Marbil have redefined service, fostering trust, ensuring continuity, and boosting the PNP morale as a whole.

A VISION ROOTED IN CONTINUITY

For Police General Marbil, leadership was never about making a mark for himself. He dismissed the idea of leaving a legacy tied to him; instead, he emphasized the importance of building upon the foundations laid by his predecessors. He strongly believes in continuity, strengthening and improving existing systems and programs rather than replacing them for recognition.

“I believe in continuity—that’s what I always do, continuation. What I did, as chief of the Philippine National Police, was just to fine tune or improve the programs of the previous PNP Chief. In fact, we retained the good programs and projects. We continued such as projects of the PNP itself. I don’t want to put names or labels and tie a project to a person. Because what’s happening here is that they claim that “this is my project,” so when the PNP chief is replaced, the new chief will discontinue the initiatives. He maintains that his role was to ensure good governance, value performance more than politics, simplify police service, and ensure effective crime prevention and crime solution. He resisted unnecessary personnel reshuffles of regional directors and  prioritized consistency in leadership at the regional and provincial levels. He believes that personnel reshuffles will simply cause delay as there would be a learning curve and the new directors would need several months to adapt to the job therefore making him an ineffective leader. The new director would only have less than a year to execute the reforms, programs, and projects that he intends to do during his tenure. He also shares that the tenure of the PNP Chief spans about a year or two, and if they don’t focus on the continuity of programs in place, it would be harder to execute new policies. Marbil also adds that changes in programs and projects would change the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOEs) which could also delay the processing and execution of a program or project. He, however, believes in simplifying police work, investing in technology, and shifting the PNP’s strategy toward modern threats like cybercrime. He advocates for modernization, highlighting the need for AI-powered CCTV systems in combating modern crimes like cyber threats, as such can make crime predictable and preventable, shifting the focus to proactive policing.

INTEGRITY AND PUBLIC TRUST

The PNP Chief also emphasizes a police force that upholds dignity and earns public trust, recognizing that the reputation of the police hinges on internal discipline. He shares that the issue of public trust is because when policemen make mistakes, the other policemen use it as trophy points such that policemen highlight and boast that who they arrested are policemen. Therefore, it gets embedded in the public that policemen are kidnappers, or involved in robbery. “Because you make the policemen your trophy points when you make mistakes. ‘These are our policemen, they are involved in kidnapping. The policemen I caught are involved in robbery, kidnapping.' Just imagine, at the back of your mind, people will say police are kidnappers, or involved in robbery. I said, it shouldn’t be like that because it’s embedded in our people. It seems like you want to embarrass the organization so that you can say that you’re good. It shouldn’t be.

Another example that the police general gave was the PNP having been blamed regarding drug problems or traffic in EDSA, which are both not under the PNP in nature but the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Metro Manila Development Authority, respectively. There is also a mix-up in the public’s perception of the assignment of the PNP. But under his watch, the PNP was reoriented toward internal discipline, and public trust, with a conscious decision to avoid political interference or superficial achievements.

 THE LAB VIRUS BY MRS. MARY ROSE MARBIL

A former corporate professional, Mrs. Marbil transitioned into a public servant, a role supporting her husband’s mission and the welfare of police families through PNP OLC Foundation Inc. What was once a club transformed into a foundation that nurtures policemen, making them feel supported and valued. Her passion project, the “LAB Virus,” exemplifies her dedication to understanding and addressing the real challenges faced by police personnel nationwide. LAB Virus aims to identify policemen needing help and assistance due to sickness.

WE MAKE SURE THAT [OUR POLICEMEN’S] MORALE IS HIGH. IT ADDS TO THEIR MORALE HAVING TO NOTICE THEM AND BUILD PROGRAMS FOR THEM.

Her initiatives include extending financial and emotional support to families, especially those with critically ill members. She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining individual identity and supporting spouses in their pursuits, encouraging a balanced life amidst the demanding environment of public service. Through this project, Mrs. Marbil saw the bedridden officers, silent spouses, and responded to once-overlooked needs.

Mrs. Marbil recounts a touching story as she implemented the LAB Virus project, a testament to how small acts of kindness ripple into greater trust and morale. “When the wife came, she didn’t say anything but ‘My husband is bedridden.’ She kept on repeating that until she started crying and hugged me. So, I ended up crying too. All she said was, my husband is bedridden. I just hugged her back. Then after that she said, maraming salamat maraming salamat kasi napapansin sila (thank you so much, thank you so much, you’ve given them the attention they need).

Police General Marbil adds that there are programs being implemented by his predecessors such as a feeding program, and adopting a family under the Police Community Relations (PCR), which he strongly believes is already the mandate of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Our PCR has to be within the police community,” the police general says. He adds  that initially, he didn’t like the Officers Ladies  Club back when it was a club. That is why the organization’s leadership changed it to a foundation whose primary purpose is to look at the welfare of the police personnel: identify the policemen who are sick and extend help to these people.

Mrs. Marbil brought professionalism, empathy, and structure to the foundation. Under her leadership, the OLCFI focused on meaningful service, offering moral and sometimes financial support to those in uniform. “We make sure that their morale is high. It adds to their morale having to notice them and build programs for them.” Mrs. Marbil adds.

A SHARED VISION IN SERVICE

What sets this couple apart is their deep alignment of values and objectives. Their conversations reveal a mutual understanding that leadership extends beyond policies—it’s about fostering trust, ensuring continuity, and nurturing the human element of policing. In fostering trust, they specifically chose people whose spouses will not meddle in the affairs of the PNP, especially when it comes to politicizing promotions. “Don’t meddle with your husband’s work.” Mrs. Marbil stresses.

Police General Marbil proudly mentions that they already had plans to establish a system for promotions that would bring in  the most competent candidates to lead the stations, at the municipality, city, or provincial level. In practice, the choosing of the provincial directors is up to the provincial governor, because that’s the law. But the general’s idea is to put the best candidates up for the choosing of the governor.

To do away with politics, he led an initiative to make the system of promotion more performance based. “We improved the system of placements because before, the placements in PNP were controlled by the Central Office but now regional directors are given autonomy so they have accountability. For performance, we also improved a lot on the basis of individual and unit performance. We also improved the system to see the performance at their level. We want to see meritocracy that’s why we asked the help from the Ateneo School of Government to come up with better policy systems of placement and promotion.

FOR PERFORMANCE, WE ALSO IMPROVED A LOT ON THE BASIS OF INDIVIDUAL AND UNIT PERFORMANCE. WE ALSO IMPROVED THE SYSTEM TO SEE THE PERFORMANCE AT THEIR LEVEL. WE WANT TO SEE MERITOCRACY THAT’S WHY WE ASKED THE HELP FROM ATENEO SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT TO COME UP WITH BETTER POLICY SYSTEMS OF PLACEMENT AND PROMOTION.

Moreso, we can remember the legacy of the Marbil couple’s partnership on how they changed the focus of the OLC from being a ladies’ club more for social gatherings to OLCFI which has a mission to aid the police community. The purpose-driven couple has empowered and enabled a social club to have a deeper purpose. With her limited time, Mrs. Marbil left a legacy of using the OLCFI as a platform to shift the focus to the police community, to relate to them, to see them, and to help them. Indeed, boosting the morale of the PNP through this paradigm shift.

GROUNDED IN FAITH, UNITED IN PURPOSE

Despite their busy schedules, the Marbils prioritize faith and service. Embedded in their leadership is a strong sense of faith. “Kapag pinagdasal ko, natutupad. [When I pray for something, it comes true.] I have faith in my prayers,” says Police General Marbil, explaining his belief that prayer and intention are key drivers of their success. Mrs. Marbil agrees, adding that she relied on quiet strength and trust during high-stress moments of her husband’s career. Their teamwork throughout the general’s term as PNP chief was very evident, as both focused on continuity, effectiveness, and the quiet power of purpose-driven work. They associate this with having the same principles. While one reformed the nation’s police force, the other ensured that the people behind the badge were seen, heard, and helped. Police General Marbil’s emphasis on internal reforms, such as decentralizing appointments and promoting performance-based advancement, was complemented by Mrs. Marbil’s focus on the welfare and morale of police families.

Asked about the legacy they are leaving, both emphasized continuity and sustainability. Mrs. Marbil says, “We have the same objectives in mind that everything should be continuous, all must proceed as planned. There’s no such thing as ‘This initiative is just mine.’ ” Police General Marbil adds, “Dapat yung ginawa ko na ganoong kahirap, dapat ang makinabang yung next sa akin. Lahat ng pagbabago, ginawa ko dahil kailangan ko ayusin lahat. Dapat ang makinabang yung next set of leaders, yung next generation of police officers. Yun ang legacy ko. [Whatever I worked hard for during my term should benefit those coming after me. I did what I had to do in order to fix things. The next set of leaders, the next generation of police officers should benefit from such. That is my legacy.]” To those who were surprised by the unwavering support of the PNP chief to his wife Rose, “It’s because we’re aligned in our objectives and our direction. It’s just that we have the same set of guiding principles,” the police officer says. To Mrs. Marbil, her legacy is the foundation itself and she hopes that it will continue to help the police community in the future. They designed it in a way that they can be part of the board of directors so it would be easy for them to be consulted, if the new members need help, as a measure for continuity. At the same time, she mentions that they have drafted a playbook so that the program would be easy to sustain.

I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO FIX THINGS. THE NEXT SET OF LEADERS, THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BENEFIT FROM SUCH. THAT IS MY LEGACY.

 A MESSAGE TO THE POLICE FORCE

“Let’s value our service. Let’s put dignity in our uniform. So let’s go with our mantra. Sa bagong Pilipinas ang gusto ng polis ligtas ka.” (In the new Philippines, the police want you to be safe.)” says Police General Marbil For Mrs. Marbil, it is support without overstepping, and “you always have to keep your identity within you.” To add to this, Police General Marbil says that it is also because of the identity of Mrs. Marbil who was part of the corporate world and is used to having all the systems in place that he tried to adapt. “I learned from her,” he says.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As their tenure ends, PNP Chief and Mrs. Marbil are looking forward to spending the days with family. To the PNP Chief, his parents who he didn’t get to be with due to far assignments. To both, it’s the board exams and the wedding of their daughter in the following year. Police General Marbil’s narrative reveals a leader who strives for an efficient and sustainable police service, that values performance over politics for a trustworthy police force. His emphasis on decentralization and internal discipline fosters accountability among police officers. Chief and wife Marbil’s story summarizes a vision of leadership rooted in service, integrity, and community. It highlights the importance of internal reform and genuine care for personnel. As they step back from their official roles, their hope is a PNP that continues to evolve toward an effective and trustworthy national police force. In an era where public trust is hard-earned and often short-lived, the Marbils offer a refreshing reminder that leadership, done quietly and sincerely, can leave a deep and lasting mark.

LET’S VALUE OUR SERVICE. LET’S PUT DIGNITY IN OUR UNIFORM. SO LET’S GO WITH OUR MANTRA. SA BAGONG PILIPINAS, ANG GUSTO NG PULIS LIGTAS KA. (IN THE NEW PHILIPPINES, THE POLICE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE.