PNP, AFP recruiting new blood

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are recruiting new members to augment their forces this year.

The PNP said it would get over 7,000 new police officers nationwide, while the AFP would need 6,700 new soldiers to fill its personnel requirement.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the recruitment of new officers is part of the regular program to meet the required number of 3,000 new Police Officers 1 (PO1s) this year.

Verzosa said the new recruits would replace more than 4,000 uniformed personnel leaving the service due to retirement, dismissal, resignation or death in the second semester of 2008 and first semester of 2009.

PNP spokesman chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said the organization would also enlist another 3,000 new police officers for the second semester of 2009.

“The current recruitment is already open and applicants can proceed to the nearest police station,” he said.

He added that the recruitment is in line with the presidential directive to recruit 15,000 PO1s in five years, starting in 2006.

Of the 7,245 quota, the PNP said 10 percent or 725 will be distributed to the National Support Units (NSUs), while 90 percent or 6,520 will go to various Police Regional Offices (PROs).

The National Capital Region (NCR) has the biggest distribution of police recruits in Luzon this year, with a quota of 1,000, followed by PRO 5 with 550, and PRO7 and PRO 12, both with 430 slots.

The PNP said Mindanao would have 1,981 police recruits due to constant threats of terrorism and peace and order problems in many areas in the region.

Applicants will undergo a series of examinations and rigorous training and take their oath this July before being turned over to the Police National Training Institute for regular Field Training Program (FTP) for 12 months.

Meanwhile, the AFP said it would recruit more soldiers to defeat the communist insurgency and maintain peace and order, particularly in the troubled South, by 2010.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, AFP public affairs office chief, said in an interview that of 6,700 recruits, the Army would take 3,900, the Air Force 600, and the Navy 800. About 1,400 will go to technical services such as doctors, nurses, lawyers and dentists.

Torres said the recruitment comes after the approval by the Department of National Defense of the P54.41-billion budget for 2009.

The budget would also fund part of the AFP’s Capability Upgrade Program, he said.

He said that applicants should be between 18 to 26 years old, completed 72 units of college, and should meet the height requirement, which was earlier lowered to five feet.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the AFP would need six more battalions for the army and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit and one battalion for the Marines to sustain internal security operations, wipe out insurgency by next year, and pursue fugitive Moro Islamic Liberation Front commanders and their followers in Mindanao.

Teodoro said half of the six infantry battalions would fill up other units, while the rest would go to new areas to intensify the military’s campaign against various security threats such as rebellion and terrorism.

He said the AFP would also buy new and modern communication equipment for soldiers in the frontlines.

He added that the recruitment of soldiers would prevent the disruption of operations against security threats, such as what happened in August last year when the military had to realign its forces from Luzon and deploy them in Mindanao to back up troops running after MILF commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, and Aleem Sulaiman alias Commander Pangalian.

Torres also announced that there would be no discrimination of applicants, particularly on their sexual preference, as long as they meet the rigid requirements set by the military for the recruitment of personnel.

“It is the discretion of the (recruitment) board really whether to accept or not such applicants with different sexualities. But it is very clear, they have to pass certain physical requirements, they have to do a certain number of pull ups, push ups, they have to run a certain distance for a required number of times. They must be physically fit, that is very important rather than sexuality. They have to pass a rigid set of examinations, both written and oral,” he said. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, James Mananghaya