PNP POLICE

OPERATIONAL
PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 5
GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR POLICE
OPERATIONS
• Regardless of the type of function to be performed and/or police operations to be
conducted, all PNP personnel must know by heart and shall comply and apply the
following procedures.

POLICE BLOTTER
• A police blotter is a 18 x 12 logbook with hard bound cover that contains the daily
register of all crimes incident reports, official summary of arrests, and other
significant events reported in a police station. A separate Police Blotter, however,
shall be maintained in crime incident reports involving violence against women
and children and those cases involving a child in conflict with the law to protect
their privacy pursuant to RA 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act
of 2004) and R.A. 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006).
• Electronic blotter - is a computerized system that is now being used in
Davao City Police Office which was accepted by the courts,
prosecutors' office and the public in general. Coordination with
Supreme Court administrator disclosed that they are amenable to the
idea of using e-blotter for the PNP but the project is stalled because
of its prohibitive costs.

• Each PNP operating unit shall maintain an official police blotter where
all types of operational and undercover dispatches shall be recorded
containing the five "W's (who, what, where, when and why) and one
"H" (how) of an information.
• ROLICE UNIFORM - All members of the police force reporting for duty
shall wear the proper uniform; the same shall be clean-shaven, neat
and clean. The uniform shall conform to the regulations prescribed by
higher authority and shall be clean, well pressed and wor neatly and
buttoned.

• POLICE NOTEBOOK AND PEN - Every policeman on the beat, either on

board a mobile car or on foot patrol must carry with at all times a
police notebook and a pen. The notebook, which is approximately the
pocket size, will be used to jot-down important events that transpired
during his tour of duty. Under the Rules of Court, the police witness
may glance at his notebook to refresh his memory during court
hearings.
• INTER-UNIT COORDINATION - Team Leaders of Local Police Units
operating outside their territorial jurisdiction, and National Support Units
shall coordinate personally or through an official representative with the
concerned territorial Police Office within whose jurisdiction the
operation will be conducted using the prescribed Coordination Form
prior to the launching of the operation, except in cases where the inter-
unit coordination through the written form cannot be made due to the
nature and/or urgency of the situation such as but not limited to cross
jurisdictional pursuit operations. In such case, the Police Unit concerned
shall endeavor to notify the territorial police office through any means of
appropriate communication at anytime during the operation and if not
possible shall accomplish and furnish the territorial Police Office a
written incident report immediately after the termination of that
particular operation.
• Hot Pursuit (Cross Jurisdictional Pursuit) - (also termed in
the US as fresh pursuit) shall mean an immediate, recent
chase or follow-up without material interval for the purpose
of taking into custody any person wanted by virtue of a
warrant or one suspected to have committed a recent
offense while fleeing from one police jurisdictional
boundaries that will normally require prior official personal
inter-unit coordination but which the pursuing unit cannot at
that moment comply due to urgency of the situation.
• BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF POLICE INTERVENTION OPERATIONS
- All police intervention operations (arrest, raid, search and seizure,
checkpoint, demolition, civil disturbance management) shall be
conducted:
1. With a marked police vehicle,
2. Preferably led by a Commissioned Officer,
3. With personnel in proper police uniform.

WARNING BY USE OF MEGAPHONES - During actual police intervention

operations, the team leader shall use any peaceful means including the
use of megaphones or any other similar means, to influence/warn the
offenders/suspect: stop and/or peacefully give up.
• WARNING SHOTS - The police shall not use warning shots during any
police intervention.
• This rule was lifted from the FBI Manual but was found to be very
unpopular to policemen in the beat. However, the PNP decided to adopt
this rule because of the danger posed by warning shots to life and
property especially in crowded areas.

• USE OF DEADLY FORCE - The excessive use of force is prohibited. The use
of weapon is justified if the suspect poses imminent danger of causing
death or serious physical injury to the policeman or other persons. The
Supreme Court explained that the policeman must stand his ground
because unlike a civilian who can run for his life, a policeman cannot, lest,
he can be charged for cowardice. (US vs Mojica, 42 Phil 784).
• The danger is "imminent" if it is on the point of happening. It is not
required that the attack already begins, for it may be too late (The
Revised Penal Code, Book I, J.BL Reyes). The elements of imminent
danger are the following:
1. Intent of the suspect to harm the policeman
2. The capability of the suspect to harm the policeman or other
persons.
3. Accessibility or the proximity of the suspect in harming the
policeman and other persons.
• The use of weapon is also justified under the Doctrines of Self-
Defense, Defense of Relative, and Defense of Stranger.
• Any Police Officer who uses firearm against the suspect must submit an after encounter
report outlining the circumstances necessitating the use of deadly forces against the suspect.

REASONABLE FORCE - During an armed confrontation, the police shall use reasonable force
only to overcome the threat posed by the suspect. The Officer, in charge of the operation shall
at all time exercise control over his men in the area, and shall ensure that no innocent civilian
is caught in the crossfire.
• The reasonableness of the force employed will depend upon the nature and quality of the
weapon used by the aggressor, his physical condition, character, size and other
circumstances and also the place and occasion of the assault. (The Revised Penal Code, Book
I, J.B.L. Reyes).

MOVING VEHICLES - Moving vehicles shall not be fired upon except when its occupants poses
imminent danger of causing death to the policeman or other persons, and the use of firearm
does not create a danger to the public that far outweighs the likely benefits of its use.
In firing upon a moving the following parameters should be considered:
1. Intent of the fleeing suspect/s to harm the policeman or other
persons.
2. The capability of the fleeing suspect/s to really harm the policeman
or other persons.
3. Accessibility or the proximity of the fleeing suspect/s in harming the
policeman and other persons.