PNP now has 5,321 more policemen

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has added 5,321 more policemen to its ranks, bringing to 147,032 the total number of police personnel to enforce the law, improve police visibility and anti-crime operations.

PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the PNP inducted the new recruits into the police service to fill requirements of police regional offices for more personnel.

“The new recruits are expected to further beef up the existing PNP personnel complement for law enforcement and public safety operations in different parts of the country,” Bartolome said.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said simultaneous oath-taking ceremonies were held in the 17 Police Regional Offices across the country.

Cerbo said the oath taking formalized the appointment of 5,321 recruits to the rank of Police Officer 1, with a basic monthly salary of P14,834 plus allowances and other non-cash benefits.

Director Elpidio de Asis Jr., PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM), said the 5,321 recruits are composed of 4,349 male and 972 female police rookies.

Bartolome instructed De Asis to realign this pool of excess qualified applicants to fill vacancies in the two newly activated tactical battalions of the Special Action Force and the Special Boat Unit of the PNP Maritime Group. 

Before the oath taking, De Asis said the new recruits had completed the series of required recruitment processes, including neuro-psychiatric screening; physical, medical and dental examination; physical agility test, drug test, complete background investigation; and eligibility examinations.

He explained that random drug testing is further conducted anytime during the entire recruitment processing and training period.

Upon appointment into the service, the recruits will undergo the mandatory Public Safety Basic Recruit Course at the Police National Training Institute for six months, after which the trainees will undergo another six months of Field Training Program before they are assigned to full duty status in the Regional Public Safety Battalion in the Police Regional Offices.

Cerbo said the National Police Commission has authorized the PNP to recruit 6,000 more police personnel this year as part of the 2012 Regular and Attrition Recruitment Program, leaving 679 vacancies unfilled this year.