Marbil seeks to overhaul PNP’s structure

MANILA, Philippines —  Saying it is time for changes in the Philippine National Police structure, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil is pushing for an overhaul of the organization to make it a civilian-centric police force.

While he acknowledged that past reforms have strengthened the internal disciplinary mechanisms in the PNP, Marbil said yesterday that deeper systemic issues persist.

“The PNP needs to adopt a flatter structure instead of a hierarchical one. A flatter organization will allow quicker decision-making and ensure firmer accountability,” Marbil said in a statement.

He said reforms are not enough to institute changes in the police force.

“We have made great strides with reforms in discipline and operational systems, but reorganization is the next logical step to cure the age-old systemic flaws,” Marbil said.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla had proposed to trim down the number of PNP generals from 133 to 25, noting that the organization needs streamlining.

Marbil pointed out that streamlining the PNP would address the “top-down” directive culture or what he called “utos sa taas,” which creates operational bottlenecks, stifles grassroots innovation and dilutes individual accountability among police officers.

He urged lawmakers to amend Republic Act 6975, the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act.

Marbil noted that the PNP’s current structure is designed for a militarized force, but its civilian mandate required a fundamentally different approach.