Jargons in the field of law enforcement are inevitable, because these have special technical

meanings that no other words may express. There are also words whose ordinary meanings
are not applicable when used in reports. It is important that you master these words in order
to express precisely the meaning in both oral and written discourse.

For a common understanding of the terms used, the following definitions are taken from the
PNP Police Operational Procedures (POP 2013) and the PNP Directorate of Investigation and
Detective Management (DIDM) Criminal Investigation Manual.

1. ARBITRARY DETENTION - begins not merely from the moment a person is

locked up in prison cell but from the moment such person is deprived of his
liberty without legal grounds and it ends only when such person is absolutely
freed from any restraints on his person.
2. ARREST- it is the taking of a person into custody in order that he may be bound
to answer for the commission of an offense.
3. ARSON- is defined as the intentional or malicious destruction of a property by
fire. It is also defined as the criminal burning of property.
4. ASSAULT- Under Section 87 (b) (2) Judiciary Act, on the original jurisdiction of
Municipal Courts, it means physical injuries. It does not refer to the crime of
direct assault in Art, 148 of the Revised Penal Code.
5. BEAT PATROL- the deployment of officers in a given community, area or
locality to prevent and deter original activity and to provide day-to-day services to
the community.
6. BRIBERY- bribery and robbery have little in common as regards their essential
elements. In the former, the transaction is mutual and voluntary. In the latter case
the transaction is neither mutual nor voluntary but consummated by the use of
force of intimidation.
7. BURDEN OF PROOF- is employed to signify the duty of proving the facts in
dispute on an issue raised between the parties in a cause. The burden of proof
always lies on the party who takes the affirmative in pleading. In criminal cases,
as every man is presumed to be innocent until the contrary is proved, the burden
of proof rests on the prosecutor, unless a different provision is expressly made by
statute.
8. BUY BUST OPERATION- is an entrapment technique employed by a peace
officer as an effective way of apprehending a criminal in the act of the
commission of the offense.
9. DAVER- a corpse of a dead body
10. CHILD- shall refer to a person below 18 years of age or one over said age and
who, upon evaluation of a qualified physician, psychologist or psychiatrist, is
found to be incapable of taking care of himself fully because of a physical or
mental disability or condition or of protecting himself from abuse.
11. E-blotter (Electronic blotter) – is a computerized system that is now being used in
Davao City Police office which was accepted by the courts, prosecutors, office
and the public in general. This is also known as the Crime Incident Recording
System.
12. ELECTRONIC DATA MESSAGE – refers to information generated, sent,
received or stored by electronic, optical or similar means, but not limited to
electronic data interchange, electronic e-mail, telegram, telex, or telecopy.
Throughout these Rules, the terms electronic data message shall be equivalent to
and be used interchangeably an “electronic document.
13. ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT - refers to information or the representation of
information, data, figures, symbols or another modes of written expression
described o however represented, by which a right is established or an obligation
or extinguished or by which a fact be proved and affirmed, which is received,

14. recorded, transmitted, stored, processed, retrieved or produced electronically. This

term electronic document can be used interchangeably with electronic data
message.
15. ELECTRONIC SINATURE – refer to any distinctive mark, characteristic and/or
sound in electronic form representing the identity of a person and attached to or
logically associated with the electronic data message or electronic document or
any methodology or procedure employed adopted by a person and executed or
adopted by such person with the intention of authenticating or approving an
electronic data message or electronic document.
16. EMINENT DOMAIN – the right of a government to take and appropriate private
property to public use, whenever the public exigency requires it; which can be
done only on condition of providing a reasonable compensation therefore.
17. ENTRAPMENT- while instigation exempts, entrapment does not; the difference
between the two being that in entrapment the crime had already been committed
while in instigation the crime was not yet and would not have been committed
were it not for the instigation by the peace officer.
18. EVIDENCE- the means sanctioned by the Rules of Court of ascertaining a
judicial proceeding the truth respecting a matter of fact. These include but are not
limited to documentary, testimonial, electronic and object evidence gathered in the
course of the investigation.
19. EVIDENT PREMEDITATION – involves in its legal sense, not only a
determination to commit the crime prior to the moment of its execution, but that
resolve to carry out the crime intent must have been the result of deliberation, ,
calculation or reflection through a period of time sufficient to dispassionately
consider and accept the final consequences thereof thus indicating a greater
perversity.
20. EXPLOITATION –shall include, at the minimum, child prostitution, child
pornography and other forms of sexual exploitation, child labor, force labor or
services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, removal and sale of
organs, use in illicit/illegal activities and participation in armed conflict. The
hiring, employment, persuasion, inducement or coercion of a child to perform in
obscene, exhibitions and indecent shows, whether live or in video or fil or to pose
or act as a model in obscene publications or pornographic materials, or to sell or
distribute said materials.
21. EXPLOSIVES – Any chemical compound, mixture or device, the primary or
common purpose of which is to function by explosion. The term includes, but is
not limited to high explosives, black powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives,
detonators, safety fuses, squibs, detonating cord, igniter cord and igniter.
22. EXPLOSIVE INCIDENTS- any explosive- involved situation that encompasses
bombings, incendiary bombings, attempted bombings, stolen and recovered
explosives, threats to government facilities involving explosives, hoax devices and
bomb threat.
23. EXPLOSIVE ORDINACE DIPOSAL PERSONNEL – refers to personnel of the
AFP Phil. Coast Guard and the National Bureau of Investigation.
24. FIRST REPSONDERS – are members of the police, military fire, medical teams,
 and other volunteer organization who are expected to be the first to respond to
calls for assistance in cases of incidents involving explosives.
25. HASTY CHECKPOINT - in an immediate response to block the escape of lawless
elements from a crime scene, and is also established when nearby checkpoints are
ignored or during hot pursuit operations. It is set up by police personnel
conducting mobile patrol on board a marked police vehicle, or those conducting
ISO and foot patrol operations within the vicinity/periphery of the national or
provincial highways.
26. HIGH RISK ARREST – is the actual restraint of armed persons following a high-
risk stop.

27. HIGH RISK STOP – is the actual stopping or accosting of armed and dangerous
person or persons, aboard a vehicle or on foot, including the power to use all
necessary and legal means to accomplish such end.
28. HOT PURSUIT (ACROSS JURISDICTIONAL PURSUIT) - also termed in the
US as fresh pursuit) shall mean an immediate, recent chase or follow up without
material interval for the purpose of taking into custody any person wanted by
virtue of a warrant, or one suspected to have committed a recent offense while
fleeing from one police jurisdictional boundary to another that will normally
require prior official inter-unit coordination but which the pursuing unit cannot, at
that moment, comply due to the urgency of the situation.
29. HOMICIDE – any person who shall kill another without the attendance of any of
the circumstances enumerated in the crime of murder (Act 249 RPC).
30. IMMINENT DANGER – the danger is imminent if it is on the point of happening.
It is not required that the attack already begins, for it may be too late (The Revised
Penal Code, Book 1 JBL Reves). The elements of imminent danger are the
following:
31. Intent of the suspect to harm the policeman.
32. The capability of the suspect to harm the policeman or other persons and,
33. Accessibility or the proximity of the suspect in harming the policeman and other
persons.
34. INQUEST PROCEEDINGS – is the informal and summary investigation
conducted by a public prosecutor (called the inquest prosecutor) in criminal cases
involving a person arrested, without the benefit of a warrant issued by the court,
and thereafter detained for the purpose of determining whether or not the
warrantless arrest is valid said arrested person should remain under custody, and
be correspondingly charged in court.
35. INVESTIGATION ON CASE – is the police officer who determines the cause or
nature of the crime, identify and interview witnesses and effects arrest of suspect.
36. MACRO- ETCHING – the determination of the serial number of engine and
chassis of a motor vehicle by the crime laboratory Technician by means of
applying, mechanicals solution on the said serial number to determine whether
there is tampering and for possible restoration of the tempered serial numbers.
37. MALFEASANCE OR AMISCONDUCT- any wrongful, improper or
unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated, obstinate or intentional purpose. It
usually refers to transgression of some established and definite rule of action,
where no discretion left except where necessity may demand; it does not
necessarily imply corruption or criminal intention.
38. MAXIMUM TOLERANCE – means the highest degree of restraint that the
police, military and other peace keeping authorities shall observe during a public
 assembly or n the dispersal area.
39. MISFEASANCE OR IRREGULARITIES IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY.
The improper
40. performance of some act which might lawfully be done.
41. MIRANDA DOCTRINE - a principle on the rights of a suspect from forced self-
incrimination during police interrogation as enshrined in the 1987 Philippine
constitution’s Bill of Rights (Article III, Sec. 12).
42. MUG SHOT 9OR BOOKING PHOTOGRAPH – it is the photograph of the
suspect taken after one is arrested. The purpose of the mug shot is to allow law
enforcement agency to have a photograph record for the arrested individual to
allow for identification by victims and investigators.
43. MURDER – any person who shall kill another person with evident, premeditation
treachery, superior strength, and of armed men, consideration of prize and reward
of promise and by means of fire, poison, explosion and other means as involving
great waste and ruin (Article 248, RPC).

44. NECESSARY AND LEGAL MEANS – as used in the definition shall include,
but not limited to the employment of appropriate number of troops, armor assets
and tactical or special units to effectively and permanently quell the threat or
present anger, or to swiftly restrain or arrest the suspect or suspects.
45. NEGLECT – failure to provide for reasons other than poverty adequate food,
clothing, shelter basic education or medical care so as to seriously endanger the
physical, mental, social and emotional growth and development of the child.
46. NEGLECT OF DUTY- the omission or refusal, without sufficient excuse to
perform an act r duty, which it was the officer’s obligation to perform.
47. NONFEASANCE OR NEGLECT OF DUTY- the omission or refusal, without
sufficient excuse, to perform an act or duty which it was the peace officer’s legal
obligation to perform; implies a duty as well as its breach and the fact can never
be found in the absence of duty.
48. OCULAR INSPECTION– an auxiliary remedy which the law affords the parties
or the court to reach an enlightened determination of the case, either to clear a
doubt, to reach a conclusion, or to find the truth, by viewing the object related to
the fact in issue.
49. OFFENDED PARTY – is oral defamation or libel, the different party referred to
in par. 4 Art. 360 RPC and in Sec. 4, Rule 110, Rules of court, is the person
appearing to have been defamed, discredited, damaged and prejudiced by the
imputation made.
50. The offender party who intervenes in a criminal action, under Sec. 15 Rule 110
Rules of Court, is the person who is entitled to civil indemnity in the civil action
arising out of the criminal act for which the accused is charged.
51. PAT-DOWN SEARCH – is a “frisk: or external feeling of the outer garments of
an individual for weapons only.
52. PERSONS IN AUTHORITY – refers to all those persons who by direct provision
of law or appointment of competent authority are charged with the maintenance of
public order and the protection and security of life and property as well as all
persons who come to the aid of agents of authority; it being public functionaries
are entitled to be considered as agents of authority; it being understood,
nevertheless that in order that the persons who come to the aid of an agent of
authority may be considered as agents of authority; it is an essential condition that
they lend such assistance, by virtue of an order or request of such agent of
 authority.
53. POLICE BLOTTER- a record or log where all types of operational and
undercover dispatches, shall be recorded containing the five W’s and one H of an
information.
54. POLICE CHECKPOINT- a location where the search is conducted which is duly
authorized by the PNP to deter/prevent the commission of crimes, enforce the law,
and for other legitimate purposes.
55. REASONABLE DOUBT – a reasonable doubt is Not a mere guess that defendant
may or may not guilty; it is such a doubt as a reasonable man might entertain after
a fair review and consideration of the evidence.
56. RECLUSION PERPETUA – the penalty of life imprisonment. However; the
offender is eligible for pardon after serving the penalty for thirty years.
57. ROBBERY – the taking of personal property belonging to another with intent to
gain, by means of violence against or intimidation of any person, or using a force
upon anything.
58. ROGUES GALLERY (OR ROGUES GAKKERY) MUG SHOT BOOK – is a
police collection of mug shots and pictures or photographs of criminal s and
suspects kept to identification purposes.

59. SCENE OF THE CRIME OPERTION – is a forensic procedure performed by

trained personnel of the PNP Crime Laboratory through scientific methods of
investigation for the purpose of preserving he crime scene gathering information,
documentation, collection and examination of all physical evidence.
60. SEARCH WARRANT – is an order in writing issued in the name of the People of
the Philippines signed by a judge and directed to a peace officer, commanding him
to search for personal property described therein and bring it before the court.
61. SPOT CHECK/ACCOSTING - is the brief stopping of an individual, whether on
foot or in a vehicle, based on reasonable suspicion/probable cause, for the purpose
of determining an individual’s identity and resolving the officer’s suspicion
concerning criminal activity.
62. STOPPING ZONE – is the strategic predetermined area strongly sealed off,
barricaded and occupied by tactical forces in a lawful display of authority to
maintain law and order or in defensive response to an event of criminal nature or
of such gravity that occurred or likely to occur calling for a high risk stop or
arrest.
63. SPOT REPORT – refers to an immediate initial investigative or incident report to
higher headquarters pertaining to the commission of the crime occurrence of
natural or man-made disaster or unusual incidents involving loss of lives and
damage of properties.
64. SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS – the constitutional guaranty that no person
shall be deprived of his life, liberty, or property for arbitrary reasons, such as a
deprivation being constitutionally supportable only if the conduct from which the
deprivation flows is prescribed by reasonable legislation (that is , the enactment is
with the scope of legislative authority) reasonably applied (that is for a purpose
consonant with the purpose of the legislation itself).
65. THEFT – is committed by any person WHO, WITH intent to gain but without
violence against or intimidation of neither persons nor force upon things, shall
take personal property of another without the latter’s consent.
66. Victim – the aggrieved party; offended party.