PNP bans ‘Ang Probinsyano’ from using police assets, personnel

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered all its units to stop allowing the teleserye “Ang Probinsyano” from using their personnel, equipment, and facilities, following the show’s alleged negative portrayal of the agency.

“All units, offices, and personnel are advised to immediately refrain from assisting, to withdraw their support to the production of the said teleserye in terms of PNP resources like patrol cars, firearms, personnel, venues, and other items and gadgets being used in the teleserye,” Police Community Relations Director Eduardo Garado said in a memorandum dated Friday, Nov. 16, 2018.

Garado issued the memorandum less than a week after PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde criticized Ang Probinsyano for giving the police organization a bad image.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government also said that it was considering legal action against the producers of the show televised daily over ABS-CBN.

According to Garado, the producers of the teleserye “promised to make the necessary corrections” regarding the issues raised in a meeting with police officials and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board last Oct. 17 and 23

Despite the meeting, the show continued with its “wrongful portrayal of PNP officers as corrupt and ineffective” and did not make any “visible correction,” Garado said.

“While our PNP legal officers are studying our options, there is a need to immediately withdraw the PNP’s assistance, if there is any, in the production of the teleserye,” he said.