ILOILO City – The so-called “palakasan system” (having backers) in hiring new police officers is not allowed in the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, spokesperson.
Malong said they will not allow anybody to use their position on hiring new police officers, adding that they will hire new cops based on their credentials and qualification.
She said they will adopt the quick response (QR) code basis to hide the applicants’ identity and to avoid “palakasan”.
“This time we are very strict in hiring new sets of neophyte police personnel. We have to select the best applicants and those who have outstanding qualifications. This is also one way of avoiding corruption and illegal activities because we select the best applicants,” Malong said.
Recently, Philippine National Police chief, General Guillermo Eleazar said all regions across the country will adopt a QR code system and would guarantee anonymity of the applicants.
Once the QR code is used in applying, those influential persons could not know who is included in the quota. It means that only qualifications and credentials would be the basis to evaluate the applicants. The names of the applicants will be revealed in the final stage after the applicants have passed the application,” she said.
Malong said, as of now, 1,300 applicants in the region are on standby.
However, the PRO-6 has only 100 “quota” for the first semester, which means the PRO-6 will select the best applicants without favoring anyone.
The PRO-6 will also accept a lower height limit for the applicants – five feet tall for the female and five feet two inches for the males.
“We look forward to have more applicants after the height limit has been lowered. Many Ilonggos wanted to enter the government forces, but some of them failed because of the height limit,” Malong added./PN
