PNP chief wants strict screening of police recruits

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Versoza has ordered recruitment and screening committees in various police regional offices to enforce strict screening of recruits.

The PNP is currently processing the applications of police recruits to fill in the 10,000 vacancies this year.

“We want only the best and most qualified recruits for the PNP,” Versoza said.

He reminded all PNP screening committees to strictly follow PNP Circular 2005-008 on the “Rationalization and Qualification Standards for Initial Appointment in the PNP Uniformed Service,” which provides a system of standards on the qualifications of individual applicants.

Versoza also ordered that the “Doctrine of Transparency” be observed in all stages of the recruitment process to preclude anomalies, illegal acts, biases and favoritism.

According to Director Abner Cabalquinto, PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management, the 2010 Regular Recruitment Program is now on the 3rd Phase of its implementation with the screening and selection process of applicants after the submission and evaluation of documents last month.

In the next 60 days, some 30,000 applicants will undergo physical, psychiatric, psychological and drug tests to be administered by the PNP Health Service and the Crime Laboratory.

Applicants will also be subjected to agility tests.

Cabalquinto said all applicants have finished the initial background investigation in the different recruiting units.

Upon completion of the mandatory medical, dental, physical, psychological and drug tests, the applicants will report for interview before a screening committee.

The entire recruitment process involves a series of tests and interviews leading to a final screening committee deliberation at the recruiting PNP unit, Cabalquinto said.

The National Police Commission earlier approved a quota of 10,000 recruits for the 2010 Police Officer 1 Regular Recruitment Program.

Successful applicants will be appointed the initial rank of Police Officer 1 with a basic monthly salary of P10,808 with other cash allowances and non-cash benefits.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the new recruits would be distributed among the 17 Police Regional Offices and National Support Units.

“The new vacancies are intended to beef up the manpower complement of police regional offices and national support units to further strengthen the operational capabilities of these units,” Espina said.

The PNP currently has 131,000 uniformed police personnel in active duty status while some 2,500 uniformed personnel will retire this year.