MANILA – Incoming Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde was urged to “close the huge gap in unfilled police officer positions.”
Personnel vacancies in the PNP were projected to hit 25,938 this year, according Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
“If all of these positions are filled and distributed equally to the country’s 1,489 municipalities, each will have an additional 17 policemen,” the senator said.
“If 20 percent of the slots will be allotted to cities, each will receive 35 more policemen,” he added.
With the Philippines’ annual population increase of 1.67 million, there is a need to boost the police force by 3,340 yearly, Recto claimed.
Assigning new recruits to street patrol duties will solve the chronic lack of police officers on the ground, he said.
“Sa ngayon kasi wala ka nang pulis na makikita sa ilalim ng tulay, flyover o underpass. Sadyang kulang talaga,” he added.
The PNP has authorized uniformed troop strength of 194,410, data on the 2018 government staffing pattern from the Department of Budget and Management showed.
Only 168,472 were filled this year, data showed.
Not all of the 168,472 were on duty, said the senator. “Some may be sick, absent, on schooling, suspended, or assigned to administrative duties.”
Recto suggested that Albayalde expand the applicant base by relaxing height and age requirements and offer review classes to improve test passing rates to get more recruits.
“Before you can put more policemen on the streets, you have to put more of them in uniform first,” he said./PN
