BOC Mindanao: Bringing Together and Bridging Christians in Cotabato, Maguindanao and Davao

For more than a century Mindanao has been a constant opening assignment for anyone who choose a career in the military or the police. Just ask our newly graduated cadets of 2012 who has been scattered all through-out Mindanao.

In an effort to seek out PNPA brothers and sisters in Christ as well as rallying the churches of Davao and Cotabato regions towards the police ministry, the Bless Our Cops team has once again journeyed to Mindanao last February 21 to 23 with fervor for the lost and commitment to the great commission.

The team composed of PSUPT Bernie Banac, Bro. Boi Manuel, Bro. Dan Afuang and Bro. Jeremy Dellosa touchdowned in Cotabato City wherein they were lead by a team of police ministers led by Ptr. Ralph Esteban who have warmly received the vision of blessing cops and leading them to the Lord. They have committed to be part of the nationwide network wherein they will be empowered and educated to do ministry works for the AFP and the PNP.

They then proceeded to the picturesque Camp Salipada Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao where they were warmly received by PCSUPT Noel De Los Reyes who is the Regional Director of the ARMM region. They connected Gen. De Los Reyes to Ptr. Pejato who is a local police minister in the area who has agreed to support the Police Community Relations work of the region. The team shared to the general the vision of the BOC wherein churches could become partners in propagating peace and order to the community.

 
During their stay they have meet with 2012 MBK brothers and sisters: PINSP MK Manguiob, PINSP Christine Camacho, PINSP Dhang Manuel and PINSP Exodos Rodriguez. They spent a night of encouraging and uplifting the spirits of the young officers who have spent almost a year of isolation from families and their friends. The group counseled them on topics such as marriage, service life and personal issues about Christianity and faith.

The following day, they were on the road braving floods and occasional downpours. They visited first the hometown of PSUPT Bernie Banac in Maquilala, North Cotabato before joining PSINSP Gus Ferrer in Bansalan. The Banac family welcomed the team in their home which has expanded through the years as a church and then a school. Doc. Ferrer who was assigned in General Santos joined the team and reported God’s goodness to him and his office in General Santos city.

That night they meet with PSSUPT Resti Gatera. Ptr. Ed Santos, Ptr Noel Milloren and the rest of the MASCOM team: the BOC partner in the police ministry in Davao. They discussed plans for next year’s BOC conference as well as a possible midyear meet in Mindanao. They also gave reports to each other on what is the policy ministry direction in the region as well as in the National Capital Region. They also discussed empowerment to police ministers and support.

The next morning, the team was able to visit Davao City Police Office where they were entertained by the regional PSPG group PCI Renato Sun, the CIDG group lead by PSS Albert Ferros and Davao City Police Office PSS Ronald Dela Rosa. Together with Ptr. Noel Milloren who was the city police pastor of the group. They were able to pray for the men and women of PNP Davao.

The BOC team left that same afternoon, hopeful and glad of the strong partnership that the team has with partners in the region.

Foster Parenting Anyone?

During plebehood, cadets will traverse the most difficult of times. Military training will render them inadequate and will cleanse them of the privileges and frivolities of civilian life. Being alone and far from their families, they will often seek comfort usually through prayers and embedded ideals that will motivate them to survive the hardship of training. Even more fortunate are those who have someone to journey with them in these grueling tests of their young career as police and soldiers.

Out of these dire circumstances, both the PMA and PNPA resolved to challenge their community to be a “parent” to these younglings. Both academies knew the importance of mentoring and knew how it could nurture and foster the family values of among the cadets although far-away from their real kins. Thus the “Foster Parent” program was formed.

In retrospect, the “foster parent” program or at least the collective experience by former cadets who firsthand experienced the love and care of foster parents was the impetus for the CORPS Movement to launch its two main program “Bless Our Cops” and “My Brother’s Keeper”. 

In Bless Our Cops, the church is given an opportunity to journey and have a deep relationship with the officers and men in their locales. They will care like parents to the sometimes unruly police with a non-discriminating heart yet with strict fatherly admonition.

The My Brother’s Keeper program was also patterned in the same way as the foster parent program. Only this time an upperclassman (often graduates) will guide a young cadet. In this accountability and mentoring program the senior will guide the junior. Alike the foster parent program, the upperclassmen are challenged to nurture and take care of their younglings.

The likeness of the two programs to the foster parent program was firsthand witnessed by members of the BOC Movement in a recent trip to Baguio.

When PSUPT Dionicio “Jun” Borromeo   was a young striving cadet, he was often plagued with bouts of homesickness. Luckily for him there was Nanay Charing De Guzman who took him and cared for him as though he was his own son. They were also in prayers when Bro. Jun meet his most difficult time of his life. God blessed the De Guzman family for their kindness: two of their children married PMAers and have two of their grandchildren became cadets themselves in the PMA and the PNPA. They again meet and reunited during the recent PMA Alumni Homecoming.

Bro Jun also reunited with his foster sons and daughters (Cadet 1Cl Siawen, and Cadet 2Cl Factor and Ramas) who were also studying at the PMA. He prayed for them and advised on life, the service and how should Christian maintain a lifestyle that emulate Christ. He also treated them for lunch and gave them some few gifts for their schooling.

The team also witnessed how Ptr. Vio Muncada has adopted their local Police in the same love and care as parenting. Ptr. Muncada who is the BOC coordinator for Baguio has longtime adopted the City Tourist Police which is situated atop the Burnham Park . PINSP Vio Hidalgo, the tourist police commander, has been a recipient of the Ptr. Vio’s church blessing which include a free rice from time to time. Ptr. Vio on the otherhand is given a cup of free Kalinga coffee in return.

The PMACF too under Ptr. Erwin and Sis Amelie Luga is also encouraging former PMACFers to adopt younger cadets as part of their Brother’s Keeper program and prodded former members of the fellowship to start breakfast fellowships in their own assignments under the supervision of the MilMin of Col. Mike Morales.

All of these efforts are just by-product of a program that invoked us to be good parents to all obeying Christ’s command to love one another as He has loved us.

The PSPG Convergence

The Police Ministry has been a perfect platform to unite churches, settle differences and work together towards the furtherance of the Gospel. It was again proven last Valentines Day of 2013 when the Bread of Life Ministry, the Government Ministry of the Christ Commissioned Fellowship and the Bless Our Cops Movement has joined together to show God’s love and care towards policemen.

PSUPT Bernard Banac, who was recently designated as the Admin and Budget Officer of the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) holds a weekly accounting of the 200 men under his command. These policemen are those assigned to politicians and influential people who have sought the help of the PNP for protection. They were recalled for the time being because of the upcoming elections.

 

In their spare time, Col Banac has thought of activities that will also help them enhance their service as well as uplift their moral aptitude. He gathered friends form different ministries to offer services and support to the men of PSPG.

Last Valentines Day, the Gmin of CCF brought along several copies of Daily Bread devotionals that will give guidance to the police in their daily lives, the Bread of Life Ministry thru Danny Lacuna shared insights and testimonies to the polices to inspire them in their service, while the BOC Movement volunteers prayed over the policemen as they share with them their daily lives.

At the end of the event, the police felt rejuvenated and the ministers were happy working together and serving the Lord.

A New Revolutionary Movement in Cavite

Not since Baldemero Aguinaldo’s Magdalo political party launched a massive revolutionary campaign in Cavite in 1898 was a time did the province was rallied towards a unifying nationalistic goal. Cavite which has endured eras of political maneuvering and control has been divided in national aspirations which has hindered economic development of the locale and besmirched morality of the the Caviteneo culture. That was until the Bless Our Cops Movement entered the province.

The BOC network of Christian workers who patronizes support for the PNP came into the province and was warmly welcomed by the townsmen who found something worth emulating and following in the program centered on love and blessing.

P01 Arnold Purificacion, a former pastor who became a policeman, has been organizing churches and laymen for the past years in order to support the Bless Our Cops program and ITP program of the PNP. PO1 Purificacion who also heads the Christian Officers of Philippine Police Service in Cavite has been encouraging both churches and police stations to closely coordinate with each other and support each other’s program.

The Bless Our Cops program in Cavite was further given a boost when PSUPT Dionicio “Jun” Borromeo became the Deputy Provincial Director for Administration of Cavite. Bro. Jun who has been steadfast in promoting the gospel in all his assignments was given an opportunity by the Lord to help out the police of Cavite which was rocked by different crisis and controversies in recent months. He also brought along with him the fervor for the lost which has marked since turning over his life to Christ.

Last February 13, 2013, he organized two ministerial associations in the cities of Cavite and Rosario to help rally the moral advocacy of the PNP. 

In Rosario, he introduced the pastoral association to the newly assigned Chief of Police, PSUPT Emil Javier, of the breezy seaside municipality. Bro. Jun explained the concept of adopting a cop and adopting a police station. He further detailed that it all starts with a true and genuine relationship between pastors and their police which is centered through concern and care without a discriminating heart. He also explained to pastor and ministers the benefits of partnering with the police which would further expand a church’s ministry through the multiple network of the police.

The Government Ministers for Christ of the Christ Commissioned Fellowship who supports PSUPT Jun Borromeoand was present at the meeting has pledged their support to the pastors of Rosario to further equip and train them in ministering to the police.

In Cavite City, the local PNP and the Pastoral Association of Cavite City has already partnered in a peace covenant which aspires to unite the politician running in the city. The pastoral association invited Col. Borromeo to be their guest speaker and to further explain to them a more meaningful way of ministering to the police. 

 

Bro Jun elucidated to them the concept of being a blessing to another to the point of loving your own enemy. He gave them the story of the thief on the cross in Calvary who was pardoned by Christ and the value of forgiveness. He again repeated the Adopt a Cop Concept to the association and has challenged to be a continuous partner to the Police of Cavite City.

Alike the pastors of Rosario, the Cavite ministers also gave their support to their Police Station and has embraced the concept of blessing the Cops.