Manila, Nov. 3 -- Philippine National Police (PNP) acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Monday reminded the public to treat official police uniforms with respect.

This is in response to a viral photo of a civilian wearing a police uniform with ripped sleeves as a Halloween costume, which drew flak from netizens and law enforcement personnel.

"The PNP uniform symbolizes service, sacrifice, and integrity. Our uniform is a symbol of our duty to serve and protect the public; this should not be used as a costume or for any gimmickry," Nartatez said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

Nartatez said the incident is now being investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for violation of Article 179 of the...