‘Bahag Pulis’ debuts in Panagbenga

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Dancing cops? How about cops in G-strings? A number of “bahag pulis” were the toast of the town Sunday as they participated in the annual Panagbenga Festival in this mountain city in northern Philippines. The audience, estimated to be at about 150,000, cheered when the “bahag pulis” paraded beside the Transformation Torch float of the Philippine National Police-Cordillera. "We are testing their acceptance to the community," said former Cordillera Police Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin, who conceptualized the “bahag pulis.” The “bahag pulis” are members of the Tourist-Oriented Police, Community-Oriented Police (Topcop). The Topcop are the police officers assigned in the tourist areas of the region like Banaue, Sagada and Bontoc. The float, designed by Martin and assembled entirely of shasta daisies, chrysanthemum, calla lilies and other flowers at the Benguet State University, has a large PNP cap and the transformation torch in front and the Procor seal in the middle. The transformation program is part of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa's nine-point agenda aimed at professionalizing the police service. - GMANews.TV