ILOILO City – General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, Philippine National Police chief, urged 205 new police recruits in Western Visayas to be a symbol of honesty.
These newly minted 162 male and 43 female police personnel recently took their oath at the Regional Training Center (RTC) of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) in Bacolod City in a virtual ceremony officiated by Cascolan.
“As police officers, you should be a symbol of honesty and good workmanship for generations to come. I want you to be a part of raising the standard of our service. Remember, we wholeheartedly offer true and honest service to our countrymen,” Cascolan said.
Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, PRO-6 director, said the 205 additional cops addressed the ideal 1:500 police to population ratio in the region.
There are currently 13,000 police officers assigned in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces, as well as in the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
After taking their oath, the neophyte patrolmen and patrolwomen will undergo Public Safety Basic Recruit Course for six months at the RTC, according to PRO-6 spokesperson Colonel Joem Malong.
Another six months of Field Training Programs are required for them to qualify for permanency.
“These rookie police officers underwent rigorous screening and selection process. They underwent physical training and mental checkup to make sure that our new breed of officers are physically and mentally fit,” said Malong.
Each police personnel will receive a basic salary of P29,668 monthly on top of allowances and other benefits. PRO-6 will start recruiting again next year, said Malong./PN
