Puno Cites NAPOLCOM Role in Professionalizing PNP

September 9, 2009

Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government has underscored the pivotal role played by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) in further professionalizing the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP), citing at least four milestones that helped accomplish such goal and underscored the “rebirth” of the agency following 43 years of its existence.

Puno, who is concurrent chairman of the Napolcom, said among these milestones was the Commission’s institutionalization of its Police Executive Service Eligibility (PESE) Examinations, which replaced the Career Service Executive Examinations administered by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

Developed by experts from leading educational institutions here and overseas, the PESE provides PNP uniformed personnel seeking third-level posts (from senior superintendent to director general) their own set of eligibility exams suited to the skills that are required of police officers, he said.

“I think we can all say that the Napolcom has experienced a rebirth and on this 43rd founding anniversary, there is indeed reason for all of us to celebrate,” Puno said in his message to his fellow officials and workers during the Commission’s 43rd anniversary celebration held Tuesday at its Central Office in Makati City.

Sen. Edgardo Angara delivered the keynote speech at the event, where he lauded the Napolcom for its “record of reforms,” particularly in the “areas of strategic planning and investments in human capital.”

Another key accomplishment, Puno said, was the reinstitution of the Napolcom’s duty and obligation to provide legal assistance to PNP personnel as provided under Republic Act 6795, which, he said, the Commission “had taken pains to restore” on his watch. 

The Napolcom, Puno said, also succeeded in lobbying Congress to pass a law that would help shield police officers from harassment cases by making them eligible for promotion despite pending complaints or cases against them.

The law, Republic Act 9708,  states that “an institution of a criminal action or complaint against a police officer shall not be a bar to promotion.”

RA 9708 further states that a police officer will only be ineligible for promotion if there is probable cause found in the case filed against him. But if the case remains unresolved after two years, the officer will again be made eligible for promotion.

“This law will remove the fear from our police officers, who are always the subject of harassment cases,” Puno said. “It will assure them that only legitimate cases will prosper and that harassment cases filed by powerful people like drug lords, for instance, wouldn’t  prevent the advancement and progress  of  dedicated police officers.”

Another milestone, Puno noted, is the soon-to-be confirmed Implementing Rules and Regulations or IRR of RA 6975—the law creating the PNP—which requires a joint resolution of both the Senate and the House of Representatives before such rules are adopted.

“I am happy to tell all of you that right now, this is almost on its final leg and, hopefully, it will be approved very, very soon so that we can finally see the IRR of the RA 6975 finally adopted after two decades,” Puno said.