Rappler's police reporter @ramboreports asks Colonel Angela Rejano about her trailblazing career, after she is appointed as the first-ever female chief of police in Metro Manila.
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Rejano: Actually, [it’s] a bit challenging on my part, it’s my first time to be serving as chief of police here in [the] Malabon City police station, especially in the powerhouse of the PNP, the NCRPO.
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Rejano: My capacity as the chief of police is so different from [my prior experiences].... Challenging dito kasi, iba ang dynamics ng crime prevention, law enforcement, and all the anti-criminality campaigns in Metro Manila.
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Rejano: In my field duty, I have 3 considerations to survive your commandership – unang-una, we have to survive ‘yung management ng tao natin, the whole police force that we’re managing and supervising.
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Rejano: Second, we have to understand the dynamics of every constituent in every community, especially here in Metro Manila. Mataas po ang migration dito and iba-iba po ‘yung peculiarity ng Manila.
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Rejano: Being at the National Capital Region as the strategy management and planning officer, nakita ko ‘yung iba-ibang angulo and faces of the different offices and units at all levels of NCRPO.
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Rejano: More on-the-go and on-the-move palagi ang police dito, you can barely sleep because you have to attend [to] so many things, sa lahat ng mga police stations.
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Rejano: Iba po dito, especially [since] we are facing the COVID pandemic. But this shouldn’t be a reason na hindi namin ma-fulfill namin yung mandate or mission namin in protecting our constituents and safeguarding them all the time.
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Rejano: It’s so different, kaya siguro, I can only offer my commitment and my courage. If I don’t take the courage to do the job, who will dare to do so?
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Rejano: Ang challenge ngayon, everybody sees, “first female chief of police.” ‘Yun palagi ang impression doon, at babae. “Will she be able to survive?”
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Rejano: Definitely, with my experience in the police service, I can survive this, kasi nai-survive ko na rin naman po ‘yung mga positions and challenges in the PNP. Siguro naman po ito, [ay] jumpstart [on] my part.
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Rejano: This would be a testing point for me, for others to follow, especially sa mga kababaihan sa PNP. Itong undertaking na ito, hindi na ito unusual para sa ating lahat.
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Rejano: May ibang mga undertaking na naging “first, first, first” sa kababaihan, pero ito po ay hindi na po siguro bago sa ating lahat. We’ve been through this in different undertakings.
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Rejano: ‘Yung sacrifices ko sa family ko is one consideration. I have also flaws, and with these flaws and struggles na na-overcome ko throughout my career, my family was supporting me all the way.
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Rejano: ‘Pag nai-survive mo ‘yun, it makes you all the more capable of doing things of different kinds. Kung hindi ko rin ito susubukan, there would be no testing point para sa iba, para masundan ito.
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Rejano: Napaka-rigid ang adjustment ng buhay mo [sa PNP Academy], from civilian to a regimented life. ‘Pag hindi mo na-survive ang first 6 or 3 months sa police academy, you will end up going home.
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Rejano: ‘Pag nai-survive mo ‘yun with all the hardships and adjustments and all the rigorous training…. Hindi mo namamalayan, graduate ka na pala.
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Rejano: I was employed before my cadetship at the PNP Academy as a contractual sa PNP national headquarters…. More on research kami noon, research ng mga equipment ng PNP.
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Rejano on deciding to join the PNP: It all started from a scratch application form from PNPA, because when lumapit ako doon sa photocopier, may nakita akong form doon. I read the application, “Saan ako qualified dito?”
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Rejano: Ultimately, naipasa ko ‘yung exam, at nakapasok din ako sa police academy…. I took the exam, and pumasa po ako, hanggang nai-survive ko.
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Rejano on how her parents responded to her PNPA application: Hindi talaga sila makapaniwala na I would be able to overcome the training. Weakling pa ako noon, eh. Hindi ako ganoon ka sporty at kalakas.
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Rejano on becoming the first female chief in Metro Manila: Di ko man ineexpect ‘yun, ang sa akin lang, siguro sa mga service reputation ko and ‘yung work habits ko siguro, pinagkatiwalaang din akong capable ako of doing the job.
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Rejano on serving in the PNP as a woman: May mga pagkakataong mayroong mga ganoong sitwasyon at times, na-sideline ang kababaihan. Pero sabi ko, I can prove them wrong, na capable kami of doing the job.
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Rejano: Nagsumikap din ako na even my male counterparts can also vouch for my capability, dahil nakikita naman nila may kakayahan din ako.
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Rejano: Nagpapasalamat din kami sa PNP dahil nag-evolve na talaga ang women in policing. Nirerecognize na rin nila ‘yung capability, because they have seen a lot of women leaders in the PNP.
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Rejano: Itong prejudice na ito, minsan nanggagaling din mismo sa aming mga kababaihan, siguro dahil medyo hesitant sila to take on the struggle or the challenge.
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Rejano: May mga junior female officers din ako, encouraging them to take these positions, but ang nagiging prejudice nila, what holds them back, is ‘yung family nila, balancing family and work life.
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Rejano: ‘Yun ‘yung mga challenges that hold us back. Kaya minsan, dito na lang kami, okay na po kami dito, more on office work, administrative.
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Rejano: The other side of policing na medyo challenging, more on operational functions, ‘yun ang medyo challenging because it really takes us law enforcers to really know the job.
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Rejano: Mahirap din [to balance work and family life] because I have to look after [my children]. During their high school and college years, we have to monitor them.
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Rejano: I have to battle first my challenge with my husband and my children and my family. Nagpapasalamat din ako sa Panginoon kasi kahit papaano, binigyan ako ng equally supportive [family].
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Rejano: Insofar as policy concerned, equally supportive din ang PNP in capacitating our women police officers, especially in the field.
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Rejano: Lahat naman ng rights and privileges are afforded for them, para mabalance nila ang time for the family and for their job, for our service.
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Rejano: Ang challenge kasi palagi dito, once you are in the police service, mandated kasi talaga kami na, public service is always above our personal interest.
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Rejano: Kahit papaano, nababalance pa rin naman ‘yun dahil binibigyan din naman kami ng mga programa, na ma-compensate pa rin namin ‘yung mga pagkukulang namin sa family namin.
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Rejano: Makikita naman natin ng proportion ng male and female police officers ay hindi balanced, especially sa number ng police officers namin, because mas [dominant] ang mga lalak sa PNP.
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Rejano: Ito naman, ‘yung pagiging ng hindi equal ng number of babae at lalaki sa kapulisan, hindi naman ito parehas doon sa equitable share in terms of positions, designations, and even promotions.
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Rejano: Actually, lahat ng mga training at opportunities, ibinibigay sa both genders. Hindi ito gaanong challenge na sa PNP.
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Rejano: Better off pa nga tayo sa ibang bansa… in terms of ‘yung pagbibigay ng equal opportunities, both for men and women.
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Rejano: I do hope that in the very near future, mayroon ding women leaders in the PNP who also sit down at the strategic level to voice out in terms of policy development. At least nairepresent din po kami.
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Rejano: [Women] are more on details. Makikita mo rin naman na maayos din naman ang mga kalalakihan, mga counterparts. Medyo meticulous din [kaming mga babae] sa mga bagay-bagay.
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Rejano: Hangga’t maaari, we want every detail na maayos, kumbaga we’re not actually aiming for perfection, but at least near perfection.
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Rejano: Ang difference is ‘yung parang mother approach, kumbaga these are your children, this is your home, this is your family…. ‘Yung pagkakaiba ay ‘yung mother’s instinct namin.
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Rejano: How you operate your command can be likened to a mother – you have to plan ahead, every detail….it can be likened to a landscape that there are places that need cultivation.
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Rejano to women who want to join the police force: I encourage them to break the ceiling. There are so many women who started this before us, so I encourage them to go further. Keep moving forward.
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Rejano: Sa mga may takot pa, sana hindi sila matakot. There will always be guidelines, regulations for us to regulate our actions. Mayroon tayong reference points to equip us with our job.
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Rejano: Kung takot tayo to do this, paano natin maitatranslate ‘yung skill natin, ‘yung capability natin, if we’re not going to carry this out in every experience that we face?
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Rejano: ‘Yung magkaroon tayo ng courage is more than enough for us to be able to wrestle all these things…. Just take the courage and everything will be perfectly okay with God’s grace.
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