Negros Or., Siquijor cops finish investigation course

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines - A total of 64 organic male and female police personnel of the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor have completed the 35-day Criminal Investigation Course held in this city.

Of the total graduates, 15 were from Siquijor, four from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group local office with one non-uniformed personnel and the rest are from the different police stations of Negros Oriental.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division-7 of the Police Regional Office-7 in Cebu City, said it was the first of a series of criminal investigation courses for policemen in line with the PNP's target of a 100 percent conviction of criminal cases filed in court.

The NOrPPO has more than 1,300 organic personnel, more than 200 investigators of whom are assigned at the different investigation desks at the police stations having undergone a full course on criminal investigation.

The target is to have at least 20 percent of the remaining number of the police investigators of the NOrPPO trained on criminal investigation by the year end, Lawas said.

Lawas said the ideal number of formally-trained investigators per police station is six. However, due to some constraints, the minimum number is placed at four, including the female investigator assigned at the PNP's Women and Children's Concerns Desk.

There is a need for police personnel to undergo not just seminars or lectures but proper training on criminal investigation to equip them with the necessary skills to go beyond the usual drills of investigating a case, he said, adding that in many instances, a case gets dismissed in court due to improper investigation.

He was also optimistic that Governor Roel Degamo will follow through with his promise to subsidize training for the next batch of police personnel to undergo the same course.