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Editorial: Reforming the PNP [People’s Tonight]

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From People’s Tonight: Like other peace-loving and well-meaning Filipinos, we hope members of Congress – senators and congressmen – will cross party lines to ensure the passage of the proposed legislation. 

Reforming the PNP

August 16, 2018
Written by Peoples Tonight

THE continued involvement of some police officers and men in criminal activities has thrust out front anew the need to reform and modernize the 190,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).

That’s why there’s now a move in Congress to hasten the passage of a proposed legislation mandating the PNP, the country’s premier law enforcement agency, to train its future officers and men.

At present, the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and the Police National Training Institute (PNTI) are under the supervision and control of the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC).

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, a former PNP chief, said Senate Bill (SB) No. 1898 seeks to transfer the supervision of the PNPA and the PNTI from the PPSC to the Quezon City-based PNP.

Lacson called on his colleagues to now approve … SB No. 1898, which is expected to be adopted by the House of Representatives to fast-track its approval.

He said President Duterte had earlier told Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Rep. Romeo Acop, chair of the House committee on public order, to prioritize the sponsorship of the bill.

Like the soft-spoken but hard-hitting Lacson, Congressman Acop is also a retired police general.

In the view of many, the bill’s enactment into law is a foregone conclusion since even Duterte supports SB No. 1898, whose principal author is Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV.

For his part, PNP chief Director-General Oscar D. Albayalde said the transfer of the recruits’ training from the PPSC to the PNP is in line with the continuing effort to reform the police agency.

“It’s high time the PNP takes full responsibility in training our personnel…Kapag pumalpak pa naman ang training, wala nang may kasalanan kundi kaming mga taga-PNP,” said Albayalde.

Like other peace-loving and well-meaning Filipinos, we hope members of Congress – senators and congressmen – will cross party lines to ensure the passage of the proposed legislation.