Napolcom OKs hiring of 18,568 cops

MANILA, Philippines - The National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday passed a resolution approving the hiring of 18,568 rookie policemen to improve the police force, improve police-to-population ratio and increase the visibility of law enforcers in the streets.

Napolcom vice-chairman and executive officer Eduardo Escueta said that for this year, under Napolcom Resolution No. 2014-155, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has been authorized to recruit 13,000 applicants for its regular recruitment quota and 5,568 new police officers for the attrition recruitment quota.

“The regular recruitment quota is intended to strengthen territorial units in highly populated areas in some Police Regional Offices (PROs) where economic activities are prevalent in support of the government’s thrust of fueling the economy,” Escueta said.

The program also aims to fill the manpower requirement of the two newly created battalions of the Special Action Force (SAF), he added.

Escueta added that the attrition recruitment quota is intended to replenish policemen who left the service due to retirement, separation or death, and to strengthen the manpower buildup of the Maritime Group (MG) and Aviation Security Group (AVSEG) in the different airports and seaports of the country.

The 13,000 regular quota is distributed per region as follows: PRO2 - 30, PRO3 - 214, PRO4B - 72, PRO5 - 44, PRO6 - 415, PRO7 - 357, PRO8 - 139, PRO9 - 174, PRO10 - 304, PRO11 - 777, PRO12 - 333, PRO13 - 107, PRO COR - 34, NCRPO - 9,200, and SAF - 800.

Regions 1, 4A (Calabarzon) and ARMM were not allocated a quota for this recruitment program.

The 5,568 attrition quota is distributed per region, as follows: PRO1 - 308, PRO2 - 198, PRO3 - 335, PRO4A - 408, PRO4B - 122, PRO5 - 428, PRO6 - 388, PRO7 - 359, PRO8 - 291, PRO9 - 237, PRO10 - 218, PRO11 - 297, PRO12 - 233, PRO13 - 93, PRO COR - 215, PRO ARMM - 211, NCRPO - 794, MG - 200, and AVSEG- 233.

Escueta urged the PNP to conduct a nationwide dissemination campaign through tri-media to give opportunity to applicants from cities and municipalities covered by the quota distribution and to strictly follow the prescribed procedures on recruitment, selection and appointment of PNP uniformed personnel.

He added that the Psychological/Psychiatric Examination and Physical Agility Test would be conducted simultaneously nationwide.

“Chiefs of PNP offices/units and members of the PNP Regional Screening Committees are required to ensure strict compliance with the recruitment procedures and guarantee the appointment of the best and most qualified police personnel, otherwise, they would be subjected to administrative sanctions,” Escueta said.