Procedural Justice In Policing And Community Satisfaction In Arakan, Cotabato

Authors

  • Seth Amiel B. Manojo Author
  • Nico A. Verdadero Author
  • John Paul H. Gelacio Author
  • Kenth Rabbi H. Villanueva Author
  • John Lloyd P. Sanmillan Author
  • Irene M. Soledad, RCrim. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.68354/742259

Keywords:

procedural justice, police legitimacy, public trust, rural policing, police-community relations, Philippines

Abstract

Introduction: Public confidence in the police is shaped by perceptions of fair and respectful treatment, yet procedural-justice research remains limited in rural Philippine settings. This study examined these perceptions and their relationship with community engagement satisfaction in Arakan, Cotabato.

Objective: The study determined residents’ perceptions of procedural justice and community engagement satisfaction and examined their relationship.

Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative descriptive-correlational design was used. Participants were 397 residents selected through proportionate stratified sampling across 28 barangays. Procedural justice was measured in terms of trustworthiness, respectful treatment, neutrality, and voice, while community engagement satisfaction covered safety and security, respect for police, and trust in police. Both instruments demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .88 and .85). Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s r were used.

Results: Procedural justice (M = 4.42, SD = 0.584) and community engagement satisfaction (M = 4.37, SD = 0.607) were rated very high. Trustworthiness received the highest procedural-justice rating (M = 4.60), while voice received the lowest (M = 4.30). Procedural justice was strongly and positively associated with community engagement satisfaction, r(395) = .763, p < .001, 95% CI [.719, .801].

Conclusions: Residents reported highly favorable perceptions of procedural justice and community engagement satisfaction, with a strong association between the constructs. However, the cross-sectional, self-report design does not establish causality, and the high ratings may reflect ceiling effects, social desirability, or measurement overlap. Findings are specific to Arakan and warrant validation through longitudinal, behavioral, and multi-site research.

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Published

2026-09-08

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Review of Studies on Criminology, Sociology, and Law

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Copyright (c) 2026 Seth Amiel B. Manojo, Nico A. Verdadero, John Paul H. Gelacio, Kenth Rabbi H. Villanueva, John Lloyd P. Sanmillan, Irene M. Soledad, RCrim. (Author)

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How to Cite

Manojo, S. A., Verdadero, N., Gelacio, J. P., Villanueva, K. R., Sanmillan, J. L., & Soledad, I. (2026). Procedural Justice In Policing And Community Satisfaction In Arakan, Cotabato. Review of Studies on Criminology, Sociology, and Law, 1(1), 68-80. https://doi.org/10.68354/742259