Recently, the Philippine National Police ordered all its units to stop allowing the teleserye Ang Probinsyano from using their personnel, equipment, and facilities as the show is alleged to have a negative portrayal of the agency. PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde criticized the show for giving the Philippine police a bad image.
Ang Probinsyano explores the story of Cardo Dalisay, which is played by actor Coco Martin, and how he faces the challenges of being a police officer. This includes the corruption within the organization and the problems in the present Filipino society. The show was based on the 1997 Fernando Poe Jr. film with the same title. Ang Probinsyano now extends to six seasons with a total of 813 episodes.
The PNP ordered all its units to stop supporting the show and all their resources like patrol cars, firearms, personnel, venues, and other items and gadgets are withdrawn from the production.
The DILG also said that they are considering legal action against the show’s producers. The believe that the show is giving the Philippine police organization an inaccurate image.
Some of the characters in Ang Probinsyano are corrupt policemen and are presented as the antagonists of the show.
It is undeniable that the whole show is a success as it has reached an overwhelming number of seasons. More and more people watch the show on a daily basis as the plot thickens.
This may be a factor on why the PNP is alarmed over the television show.
With its number of episodes and success on television ratings, Ang Probinsyano has gained a certain reach through its audience. As people continuously watch the show, the more that the show’s audience absorbs its plot as well as the values presented through its characters.
On the other hand, the PNP may have a point if the show has been portraying police officers in an incorrect way. But recently, issues as the police officer who is guilty of rape and claims it as a normal act in the drug operations, debunk the PNP’s argument that the show has been wrongfully portraying police officers as corrupt, abusive, and ineffective. Though it is understood that there are a lot of police officers who still do their job with honesty, integrity, and justice, there are also a lot of police officers who does otherwise.
Films, television shows, or all forms of narratives such as Ang Probinsyano are always based on reality. Ang Probinsyano serves as a catalyst in letting people know the truth of our society, and in this case the truth of these police officers who had forgotten that it is they who are supposed to bring justice in our society.
Ang Probinsyano presents us of the truths of society in which is up to us whether we should act on it or simply remain still about it. It enlightens us of the problems that there is and how we can act as a society towards justice.
