PNP to cops: Salute when national anthem is sung indoors

MANILA, Philippines - Police officers should salute, not place their right hand on their chest, while singing the national anthem during indoor activities, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

Both police officers and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) salute while singing the national anthem during outdoor activities. Soldiers still salute while singing the anthem indoors, but police officers put their right hand on their chest.

Director Danilo Abarzosa, chief of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (DHRDD), said the new policy is meant to synchronize the gesture of PNP personnel with that of the AFP.

“Henceforth, for purposes of coherence and synchronism with the AFP, all PNP uniformed personnel wearing prescribed PNP uniform (including PNP athletic uniform) shall stand at attention and render the hand salute while singing the Philippine National Anthem during indoor activities,” Abarzosa said in a memorandum.

Abarzosa said police officials who attended an occasion held in Malacañang observed that members of the AFP rendered the hand salute while singing the national anthem indoors.

Abarzosa sent copies of the new policy to PNP offices nationwide.