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A World Journal of Human Dynamics and Social Relations
Volume 7 | Issue 1 | 2026 | 67 – 78
1Faculty, College of Criminal Justice Education, Biliran Province State University, P.Inocentes St., Naval, Biliran, Philippines
2Dean, College of Criminal Justice Education, University of Cebu-Main Campus, Cebu City, Philippines
Article History:
Initial submission: 16 December 2025
First decision: 18 December 2025
Revision received: 27 January 2026
Accepted for publication: 05 February 2026
Online release: 13 February 2026
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The idea of police public image takes most of the interest in the field of law enforcement. Police public image means that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be the model of professionalism, trustworthiness, and dedication. They should be seen as protectors of the community, upholding the law with integrity and fairness. The police public image is built by various factors, including their performance in the community, and media representation (Skogan & Frydl, 2004). This research paper investigates the views of informants toward the public image of police and its perceived impact to the community. Conducted in various barangays from the eight (8) Municipalities of Biliran Province, the study utilized a qualitative research design, specifically using thematic and content analyses to analyze the collected data. The respondents are barangay officials, community stakeholders, and drivers of the different barangays in each municipality of Biliran. The results revealed ten emergent themes for the views and impact police public image to the community: Responsiveness and Reliability, Respectful and Fair Treatment, Active Engagement and Presence, Excessive Use of Authority, Perceived Social Alienation Within the Community, Stereotype-Driven Views of Law Enforcement, CommunityOriented Policing Initiatives, Ethical Behavior Strengthens Community Engagement, Reduction in Crime and Disorder, and Collaborative Problem-Solving. These themes highlight the rewarding aspects of the community roles, in collaboration with the police initiatives for public awareness and safety in the community. Conversely, concerns about abuse of authority and media portrayals of police have made a negative impact with the community and affects the community relation between the law enforcement and the community.
Keywords: police public image, community perceptions, trust and legitimacy, community policing, Biliran Province, Philippines
APA (7th edition)
Verian, R. O., & Sabijon, D. F. (2026). Police public image and its perceived impact to the community of Biliran Province, Philippines. Social Science Lens: A World Journal of Human Dynamics and Social Relations, 7(1), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.62718/vmca.ssl-wjhdsr.7.1.SC-1225-012
Richard O. Verian: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data collection, Analysis, Writing – original manuscript;
Atty. Dodelon F. Sabijon: Supervision.
This research received no external funding.
The authors declare that the research was conducted without commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Cebu Academe Research Ethics Committee (UCAREC) with reference code GS (1)-2025-03-107.
All data supporting the findings of this study are included within the manuscript and its supplementary materials.
AI-assisted language editing was performed using Copilot to enhance and improve the grammar and structure in some parts of the introduction, methodology, results and discussion; final revisions and accountability rest with the authors.
The study was conducted with the collaboration and assistance of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the different municipalities and Barangays under the Province of Biliran, most especially to the selected community stakeholders, for whom the researchers are extremely thankful. Their guidance and support of the researchers greatly aided in the research’s completion.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher disclaims any responsibility for errors or omissions.