PNP working to close gap in cops’ number

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is working to reach an ideal ratio of one police officer for every 500 individuals by 2020 as well as fill in vacancies for five battalions of the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF) as envisioned by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

MANILA–The Philippine National Police (PNP) is working to reach an ideal ratio of one police officer for every 500 individuals by 2020 as well as fill in vacancies for five battalions of the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF) as envisioned by President Rodrigo R. Duterte .

PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management Director Rene Aspera said the organization has an attrition rate of about 5,000 personnel a year which consists of those who retire and those who are removed from service.

Aside from trying to replenish the number, there is also an additional quota requirement of 10,000 personnel, Aspera added.

“By 2020 pa baka doon na magkaroon ng balance sa ating police to population ratio (By 2020, we can strike a balance between our police to population ratio),” Aspera said, noting that they are focused on recruiting Police Officers 1 to fill in the requirements of the PNP-SAF.

“For now, ang focus natin ay sa recruitment ng PO1 for our SAF personnel as pronounced by our President. Priority natin punuin muna natin ang SAF, five battalions. Ongoing pa ang recruitment kaya naantala ang recruitment natin ng 10,000 PO1. Doon muna ipupush. Ngayon ongoing na, 5 battalions is 2,000 individuals. Right now, we have 1,400 na on training. 500 pa ang ongoing ang processing (For now, we focus our recruitment for PO1 for our SAF personnel as pronounced by our President. Our priority is to fill up first SAF, five battalions. Recruitment is still ongoing for 10,000 PO1. We are pushing that. Now , it is ongoing. Five battalions is 2,000 individuals. Right now, we have 1,400 on training. 500 more are ongoing processing),” he said.

The need to recruit 15,000 men would help the PNP achieve the ideal 1is to 500 ration he said.

The PNP is also addressing problems on the internal discipline of recruits as well as training, and deployment.

The PNP on Friday welcomed 18 successful candidates under the Lateral Entry Program for Technical Officers.

Aspera led the oath-taking and donning of ranks of the officers who will fill-up vacancies in the technical service positions for priest, pastor, and legal officers of the PNP Chaplain Service and Legal Service.

Aspera said the 15 new lawyers is still short for the PNP’s requirement.

“Nakikita natin na kulang pa rin lawyers natin in some units sa regions. In fact, ang additional 15 lawyers is not enough to fill up the quota natin for 2017 lateral entry program (We know that we still lack lawyers in some units in the regions. In fact, the addtional 15 lawyers is now enough to fill up our quota for 2017 lateral entry program),” Aspera added.

Vacancies for 16 lawyers and doctors are also pending for the National Police Commission.