MANILA — Tabuk City police chief Lt. Col. Jack Angog saved a destitute father from imprisonment after stealing milk for his child, earning praises for his act of compassion.
The man was held on Oct. 31 after a supermarket worker caught him taking a 1.725-kilogram box of baby milk without paying, acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a news release Sunday.
The suspect told officers he had lost his job when a construction project ended. He had been raising his child alone after his wife left.
Nartatez said the incident, which went viral on social media, perfectly showed the human side of policing where officers enforce the law with both firmness and empathy.
He said police work should always mirror these values in the performance of duty.
“I commend the local police chief for showing compassion while still upholding the law. We do not condone what he did, but we understand that sometimes, crime is borne out of poverty or hunger,” he said.
However, the PNP chief stressed that the intervention was conducted within legal procedures, adding that no laws were violated.
“The action was done within proper bounds — there was documentation, settlement and compassion,” he said.
“The PNP does not condone any form of theft or wrongdoing. But we must also remember that behind every violation is often a story of hardship. This is where compassionate leadership must take place — to enforce the law firmly, but with understanding and empathy. That is the true essence of public service.”
Moving forward, Nartatez directed all police personnel to always exercise sound judgment and compassion when handling minor offenses rooted in desperation or poverty.
He said police units must actively coordinate with social welfare offices and local government units to ensure that assistance is extended in cases of poverty-driven offenses.