20/08/2026
ACCOUNTABILITY STARTS AT THE COMMAND
Effective police leadership is not only about giving directionโit is about knowing what is happening within the command, addressing gaps, and taking responsibility when standards are not met.
This principle was reinforced by the Internal Affairs Service (IAS), under the leadership of Inspector General Atty. Brigido J. Dulay, during its Proactive Inspection and Command Visit at the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office (CSPPO), Camp Colonel Juan, Querubin Miranda, Concepcion Grande, Naga City, on August 18, 2026.
The engagement emphasized that accountability in the PNP does not begin only when an infraction is committed. It begins with leadership, supervision, and the responsibility of commanders to ensure that their personnel understand and uphold the standards expected of them.
Proactive inspections allow IAS to identify gaps, reinforce ethical standards, and engage commanders on their responsibility to maintain discipline and integrity within their respective units.
As emphasized by Inspector General Dulay, commanders have a responsibility to know what is happening within their commands. When something goes wrong and a commander knewโor should have knownโabout it, accountability does not necessarily stop with the individual involved.
Command responsibility is both a legal obligation and a personal responsibility.
In an environment where a police action can be recorded, shared, and seen by the public within minutes, there is no substitute for doing what is right, lawful, and ethicalโeven when no one is watching.
The activity was attended by PCOL Tyrone R. Dotimas, Officer-in-Charge, CSPPO, together with the officers and personnel of the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office; PBGEN Jeanne B. Panisan, Chief, Inspection and Audit Division (IAD), IAS; PCOL Dominador M. Matalang, Acting Director, RIAS 5; PLTCOL Michael Delos Reyes, Chief, Budget and Finance Accounting Section (BFAS), IAS; NUP Rostum Villanueva Agapito, Head Executive Assistant, Office of the Inspector General; and RIAS 5 Inspectors.
Through proactive engagements such as this, IAS continues to bring accountability closer to the frontlineโnot simply to identify mistakes, but to prevent misconduct, strengthen leadership, close gaps, and uphold the integrity of police service.
Because a stronger PNP is built when every commander leads with accountability, every police officer acts with integrity, and every member understands that the badge carries not only authority, but responsibility.