Character Formation (3rd Semester)

Instructor – Sean Rey Z. Bongayon

Instructions: Please be guided below. Follow specifically the instructions provided in each item. The
general rubric of assessment is mainly focused on the quality of content but grammar, spelling, and
other secondary criteria should not be dismissed. Format: Arial, 11, justified, long bond paper. Soft
copy should be send @ [email protected] with your names.

1. Character was defined as “your moral self,” the “crown of a moral life,” and referred to as a “moral structure,”
something you built through virtuous behavior (Brett & Kate McKay, 2013). Aristotle claims that character
develops over time as one acquires habits from parents, siblings, friends and community or the environment as
a whole, first through reward and punishment. One acquires a good character much as one may learn to play a
musical instrument: initially, one may be under some pressure to practice, but eventually, one enjoys playing
with skill and understanding. Aristotle claims that one is partly responsible for one’s character, but he thereby
raises the question whether one freely chooses one’s character. A person of good character does choose freely,
however, and is able to frame complex situations accurately. The full development of character requires rational
reflection: Aristotle argues that dialectic, to which Rawls’s reflective equilibrium bears some resemblance,
generates principles that can guide us, though they do not serve as unexceptionable rules. (Hartman, 2013)

Activities

a) On a long bond paper, make a writing describing yourself. Describe who you are (good or bad attitude, habits,
beliefs and etc) and assess yourself whether you have a good character, bad character or whether you need to
improve your character and show the reasons why you chose that. Provide the influences that shaped who you
are today.

b) As a future law enforcer, how important is having a good or noble character? What are the effects of having
a bad or negative character?

c) Do you agree that if most or if all law enforcers especially the police officers have noble characters there will
be less crimes or no crimes committed by them? Explain your answers

d) Recently, the GMRC bill has been signed by our beloved president into law. Do you agree of it’s comeback?
State you reasons.
2. Value is an entity, situation or condition that you consistently strive to acquire or keep. It is an important and
enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or desirable and what is not.
It exert major influences on the behavior of an individual and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. Values
are the good habits that are contagious (Saidali, 2015) Values are like little parts of what makes the over-all
character of a person. It is often disregarded especially in formal education like the removal of the GMRC in our
educational system. It is dismaying to see because good value formation is important in shaping law abiding
citizen and good law enforcers in the future. Good value formation can actually reduce crime which is evident to
countries with citizens with decent value formation education like Japan have lesser crimes and law enforcement.

Activites:

a) Write down the core values of IFSU and explain each of the values on why the school is inculcating
these values to the students like you.

b) Give at least 5 positive/strengths values that needs to be promoted and 5 negative/weaknesses

c) Give at least 5 Filipino positive/strengths values that needs to be promoted and 5 Filipino
negative/weaknesses of Filipinos and explain why the positive values needs to be promoted and the negative
values avoided.

d) Research on the different vision, mission, mandate, core values, and etc. of the PNP, BFP, BJMP,
BuCor, NBI, and the AFP. Explain why these different law enforcement agencies are trying to promote and
build these values.

3. Ethical dilemmas and Ethical Issues

Oftentimes law enforcers especially the police are tested morally in their profession. The strength of their
character is tried and tested through ethical dilemmas brought about by their work. Many have failed and even
convicted due to being tempted to do evil probably because they have weak character.
Ethical Issues
Key ethical issues that face law enforcement are not easy to identify at times, and when they are
identified, they are open to interpretation. Often in law enforcement, a high-profile decision made by an officer in
a millisecond is analyzed over months and sometimes years. Even with this ability to analyze the decision over
years, a consensus is often not reached about whether the law enforcement officer’s actions were ethical or not.
It is for this reason that it is important to look at all ethical issues in law enforcement with a critical mind, so we
can understand both sides of each issue. It is also why this text will focus on those issues that are not clearly
ethical or unethical, but nonetheless are deserving of debate.
Some examples of ethical issues are:
a. The Ethics of Power and Authority - Law enforcement officers possess enormous amounts of power,
which can be used against citizens to deprive them of their freedom, search them and their dwellings, seize their
property, and use force against them. These powers are legally permitted under specific circumstances, and law
enforcement officers are trained to know when these powers can be legally applied. As law enforcement officers
rank among the most powerful occupations in society, what compounds their ability to use their power is that
they are often in contact with relatively powerless and disenfranchised citizens who may be unable to resist an
officer’s illegitimate use of that power. These powers are legally prescribed, and law enforcement officers are
well aware of them. It is important that law enforcement officers not misuse their power for the following reasons.
b. Ethical Issue during an Investigation - Law enforcement officers who are in investigative roles are
often confronted with ethical issues during the investigative process. Issues like planting of evidence, torture,
and other issues related to arresting or detaining a suspect or other activities within the scope of police
investigation.
c. Gratuities - Gratuities are often seen as the first step on the slippery slope toward major corruption
(Coleman, 2004), and it is for this reason that accepting gratuities is always frowned upon by law enforcement
agencies. Coleman argues that while each step is, on the slippery slope, individually insignificant, it is the
cumulative effect of the steps that draws and pushes officers to more serious forms of unethical behaviours.
Once an officer starts on the slippery slope, one step leads to another: the coffee leads to a coffee and a donut,
which eventually leads to a free dinner. The cumulative effect of these gratuities, according to Coleman (2004),
leads to a situation that is difficult for the officer to stop doing or turn around.
Activities:

a) Research and make a case study of the Milgram Experiment. (The case study should have 3 parts
namely: Introduction, Discussion, & Conclusion. Introduction shall be composed of a short aspect or point
of the subject of your case study, Discussion should present the facts of the case and other important details,
the Conclusion should answer the question above with explanations)

b) Pick a popular ethical issue in the Philippines particularly issues involving law enforcement agencies
like the PNP (e.g. General Sinas birthday, kotong cops, or any popular ethical issues) and make a case study
for it. (The case study should have 3 parts namely: Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion &
Recommendation. Introduction shall be composed of a short piece or point of the subject of your case study,
Discussion should present the facts of the case and other important details, the Conclusion should answer the
question above with explanations and lastly, make a recommendation proposal to the PNP to address this
ethical issue)
4. Patriotism and Nationalism

Activities:

a) Define and differentiate in your own understanding Patriotism and Nationalism. Give at least 5 examples
each.

b) Hand write all national symbol e.g. national sport, national flower and etc. Next, picture the handwritten
national symbols and place it on a word document.

c) Hand write the national anthem, “Panatang Makabayan”, “Panunumpa sa watawat ng Pilipinas”, at “Ako ay
Pilipino”. Next, picture it and place it on a word document.

b) As a student, how will you demonstrate patriotism and nationalism towards our country especially in this
pandemic? Give at least 7 activities.

c) If we observe ourselves as Filipinos, we prefer imported goods/services over local ones. For example, we
much prefer watching Korean TV shows rather our own telenovelas or we would rather save our money to
attend a concert of a K-pop group over a Filipino band concert. What do you think are the reasons on why we
act this way?

c) What do you think will happen if Filipinos have no sense of patriotism or have no sense of nationalism? Give
a real situation basing from past events or a hypothetical event. (Hint: Throughout our Philippine History, there
were many instances of betrayal of our country)

d) Make a proposal recommendation to inculcate the patriotic/nationalistic spirit towards the youth. It should be
addressed to the local government, national government or to its different government agencies. (The proposal
recommendation should have an Introduction, and a Body. The introduction should describe the objectives and
rationale of your proposal, or the importance of your proposal, or etc *it depends on you, and the body should
describe what is your recommendation is all about, and other important things you want to suggest)

e) Why do you think it is important for law enforcers that they should be patriotic/nationalistic in our country?
What do you think are the good and bad effects of being patriotic or nationalistic law enforcer?

f) Research on the proposed mandatory ROTC bill or the senate bill 2232. And give your opinion about it ( Do
you agree with it? If yes, provide your reasons why you agree. If no, provide your reasons why you disagree. If
you neither agree or disagree, provide your personal amendments to the bill)

g) Research on the Chinese land reclamation of our islands in West Philippines sea. Give your opinion about it.
What can we do about it?

Please contact me if you have queries @09066363704 or message me on Facebook just search
Sean Rey Bn / https://www.facebook.com/srzb71/