The 100 recruits is the PNP quota for Central Visayas and part of the 2,500 policemen to be recruited nationwide this part of the year, Napolcom chairman Angelo Reyes said in a communication.
The Napolcom memorandum circular No. 2005-007 authorized the filling up of 1,900 vacancies in various police regional and provincial mobile groups, 400 in the Special Action Force and 200 in the headquarters support service.
But even if the Police Regional Office-7 gets the 100 additional policemen, regional officials said such would not solve completely yet the problem of lack of policemen in the region citing the regional force's more than 5,000 policemen only.
The law provides that the manning level of the PNP should be approximately in accordance with the ideal police-to-population ratio of one policeman for every 500 people.
But in Cebu City, the police to population ratio is only one policeman for every 1,500 residents. Last May, the PNP hired 3,970 new policemen around the country.
Napolcom vice chairman Imelda Roces said the commission approved the second attrition recruitment quota for this year in order to increase police-to-population ratio and improve police visibility.
Those who wish to apply should get a recommendation from the mayor of their respective town or city where they intend to be assigned at. - Rene U. Borromeo