Philippine National Police
Police force of the Philippines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Police force of the Philippines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Philippine National Police (PNP; Filipino: Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas[4]) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a population in excess of 100 million.[5]
| Philippine National Police Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas | |
|---|---|
Insignia and uniform patch | |
 Badge | |
 Flag of the Director General/Chief | |
| Abbreviation | PNP |
| Motto | To Serve and Protect. Service, Honor, Justice. |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | January 29, 1991 [1] |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Annual budget | ₱193.24 billion (2023)[3] (US$3.92 billion) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Philippines |
| Operations jurisdiction | Philippines |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Camp Crame, Quezon City |
| Police officers | 228,000 |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Department of the Interior and Local Government via National Police Commission |
| Website | |
| pnp.gov.ph | |
The agency is administered and controlled by the National Police Commission and is part of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Local police officers are operationally controlled by city or municipal mayors.[6] DILG, on the other hand, organizes, trains and equips the PNP for the performance of police functions as a police force that is national in scope and civilian in character.
The PNP was formed on January 29, 1991, when the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police were merged pursuant to Republic Act 6975 of 1990.[1]
Until January 1991, the Philippines did not have a civilian national police force, and instead had the Philippine Constabulary under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and city and municipal police organized under the Integrated National Police,[1] which was likewise nationalized and integrated under the command of the military under martial law in 1975.
The need to assert civilian control of the military was a reform agenda which began being addressed almost as soon as Ferdinand Marcos was deposed by the 1986 People Power Revolution; within a year of Marcos' ouster, the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines enshrined the principle of civilian supremacy over the military.[7] This was because of broad local[8][9][10] and international consensus[11] that "human rights abuses became rampant"[10][12] during the dictatorship, with Philippine Constabulary units[13] such as the Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG),[14] and the 5th Constabulary Security Unit (5CSU),[15] identified with many particular cases. These units had also been associated with acts of intimidation and violence media entities,[16][17] corporate management,[18] and opposition groups.[19]
The recommendations of the Davide Commission in 1990 thus included the dissolution of the Philippine Constabulary as a service under the AFP.[1] It was determined that a new civilian Philippine National Police was to be formed by merging the Integrated National Police into the Philippine Constabulary, with the PC forming the basis as it had the more developed infrastructure. The PC was then removed from the Ministry of National Defense and eventually civilianized, as part of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, through attrition and recruitment of new personnel.
Passed on December 13, 1990,[20] Republic Act No. 6975, the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 paved the way for a new era for Philippine law enforcement as the law ordered the total merger of both the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police and formally created the Philippine National Police.[21]
R.A. 6975 was further amended by R.A. 8551, the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998,[22] and by R.A. 9708.[23]
R.A. 8551 envisioned the PNP to be a community- and service-oriented agency and included the creation of the Internal Affairs Service of Philippine National Police.[22]
On June 14, 2019, the PNP announced that the Counter-Intelligence Task Force will be replaced with the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.[24]
Area Police Command
| Area of Responsibility | Coverage | Commander |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Luzon | Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Region, and Central Luzon | PBGEN Prexy D. Tanggawohn (OIC) |
| Southern Luzon | Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region | PLTGEN Jonnel C. Estomo |
| Visayas | Visayan Islands | PLTGEN Robert T. Rodriguez |
| Western Mindanao | Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao | PMGEN Bernard M. Banac (Acting) |
| Eastern Mindanao | Caraga Region, Soccsksargen, and Davao Region | PMGEN Benjamin H. Silo Jr. (Acting) |
Regional Offices
Regional Police Offices manage and administer Police Stations within the various regions of the Philippines, each of which include several provinces and independent cities. Each unit exercises independent control over all police units within their areas of operation and attached units of the PNP National Headquarters are ordered to assist these Regional Offices. The National Capital Region Police Office is one such regional office.
| Current Seal | Regional Offices | Area of Responsibility | Provincial/City/District Offices | Regional Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) | National Capital Region – Metro Manila | 5 (All District Offices) | PMGEN Sidney S. Hernia |
| Police Regional Office Cordillera (PRO COR) | Cordillera Administrative Region | 7 (6 Provincials, 2 City) | PBGEN David K. Peredo | |
 |
Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) | Region 1 – Ilocos Region | 4 (All Provincial Offices) | PBGEN Lou F. Evangelista |
 |
Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) | Region 2 – Cagayan Valley | 6 (5 Provincials, 4 City) | PBGEN Antonio P. Marallag Jr. |
 |
Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) | Region 3 – Central Luzon | 9 (7 Provincials, 2 Cities) | PBGEN Redrico A. Maranan |
| Police Regional Office 4A (PRO4A) | Region IV-A – Calabarzon | 5 (All Provincial Offices) | PBGEN Paul Kenneth T. Lucas | |
| Police Regional Office Mimaropa (PRO4B) | Mimaropa – Southwestern Tagalog Region | 6 (5 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN Roger L. Quesada | |
 |
Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5) | Region V – Bicol Region | 7 (6 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN Andre P. Dizon |
| Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) | Region VI – Western Visayas | 8 (6 Provincials, 2 Cities) | PBGEN Jack L. Wanky | |
| Police Regional Office 7 (PRO7) | Region VII – Central Visayas | 7 (4 Provincials, 3 Cities) | PBGEN Anthony A. Aberin | |
| Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) | Region VIII – Eastern Visayas | 8 (6 Provincials, 2 Cities) | PBGEN Jay R. Cumigad | |
| Police Regional Office 9 (PRO9) | Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula | 4 (3 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN Bowenn Joey M. Masauding | |
| Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10) | Region X – Northern Mindanao | 7 (5 Provincials, 2 Cities) | PBGEN Jaysen C. De Guzman | |
| Police Regional Office 11 (PRO11) | Region XI – Davao Region | 7 (5 Provincials, 1 City, 1 District) | PBGEN Leon Victor Z. Rosete | |
| Police Regional Office 12 (PRO12) | Region XII – Soccsksargen / Bangsamoro barangays in North Cotabato[25] | 5 (4 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN James E. Gulmatico (OIC) | |
| Police Regional Office 13 (PRO13) | Region XIII – Caraga | 6 (5 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN Alan M. Nazarro | |
 |
Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR)[25] | BARMM – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cotabato City / Excluding Bangsamoro barangays in North Cotabato | 7 (6 Provincials, 1 City) | PBGEN Romeo J. Macapaz |
District Offices
| District Offices | Area of Responsibility | Regional Office | District Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Police District (EPD) | Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, San Juan | NCRPO | PBGEN Wilson C. Asueta |
| Manila Police District (MPD) | City of Manila | NCRPO | PBGEN Arnold Thomas C. Ibay |
| Northern Police District (NPD) | Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela | NCRPO | PBGEN Rizalito G. Gapas |
| Quezon City Police District (QCPD) | Quezon City | NCRPO | PCOL Melecio M. Buslig Jr. (Acting) |
| Southern Police District (SPD) | Las Piñas, Makati, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pateros, Pasay, Taguig | NCRPO | PBGEN Bernard R. Yang |
| Metropolitan Davao Police District (MDPD) | Metro Davao | Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 | PBGEN Thor Valiente P. Cuyos |
Except in Metro Manila, regional police offices are organized into:
The PNP created a national Internal Affairs Service (IAS) in June 1999. It is an organization within the structure of the PNP and one of its tasks is to help the Chief PNP institute reforms to improve the image of the police force through assessment, analysis and evaluation of the character and behavior of the PNP personnel. It is headed by the Inspector General.
The National Operations Center (NOC) is at Camp Crame. Chief Superintendent Constante Azares Jr., chief of the PNP-NOC, explained that "the NOC is the hub and nerve of this facility."[26]
The following operational units exist within the PNP.[27]
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The Philippine National Police Academy is located at Camp Gen. Mariano N. Castaneda, Silang, Cavite and is the premier training academy for the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management & Penology and Bureau of Fire Protection.
Per the current (2019) rank system, the National Police has no rank holders of Second Lieutenant, Technical Sergeant, Sergeant and Patrolman First Class.
| Insignia | Rank[41] |
|---|---|
| Commissioned Officers | |
 |
Police General (PGEN) |
 |
Police Lieutenant General (PLTGEN) |
 |
Police Major General (PMGEN) |
 |
Police Brigadier General (PBGEN) |
 |
Police Colonel (PCOL) |
 |
Police Lieutenant Colonel (PLTCOL) |
 |
Police Major (PMAJ) |
 |
Police Captain (PCPT) |
 |
Police Lieutenant (PLT) |
| Non-Commissioned Officers | |
 |
Police Executive Master Sergeant (PEMS) |
 |
Police Chief Master Sergeant (PCMS) |
 |
Police Senior Master Sergeant (PSMS) |
 |
Police Master Sergeant (PMSg) |
 |
Police Staff Sergeant (PSSg) |
 |
Police Corporal (PCpl) |
 |
Patrolman / Patrolwoman (Pat) |
_soldiers_descend_a_repel_tower_during_a_joint_U.S.-AFP-Philippine_National_Police_(PNP)_Subject_Matter_Expert_Exchange_(SMEE).jpg)
The PNP conducts regular recruitment programs, depending on the annual budget. The entry level for non-commissioned officers is the rank of Police Patrolman (for male recruits) or Police Patrolwoman (for female recruits). The new recruits will undergo Public Safety Basic Recruit Course for six months, and a Field Training Program for another six months. Prior to their actual duty, they are required to undergo the mandatory special training of PNP BISOC or PNP Basic Internal Security Operations Course for 45 days to 5 months to enhance them in militaristic/tactics for future assignment in the field whether in the Striking Force or in the Police Station.
Commissioned officers for the Philippine National Police are from the Philippine National Police Academy as well as through "lateral entry" for specialized disciplines and requirements such as criminologists in line-officers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, chaplain and other technical positions and also the rose-from-the-rank personnel who have reached the qualifications to be a commissioned officer.
A police officer has to two ways for retirement i.e. Optional and Mandatory Retirement. Optional Retirement is an option of an uniformed personnel to retire who rendered at least 20 years retire from the service, while the latter is when they reach the mandatory retirement age of 56. Any officer may opt to go on non-duty status at most three months before the date when they reach the mandatory retirement age so they could prepare the pertinent documents for their retirement (some called it Terminal Leave). While on this status they are still considered as part of the police force and retain their ranking.[42]
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The PNP is one of the "core security actors"[43] that are the focus of security sector governance and reform in the Philippines, which involves civilianizing, professionalizing, modernizing, and capacitating the Philippine government's security institutions[43][44][45] to align them good governance and to principles such as human rights, freedom of information, and the rule of civilian law.[46][47] This has been a continuing process since the establishment of the Fifth Philippine Republic after the 1986 People Power Revolution,[44] before the concept had even been fully defined internationally in the 1990s.[48] The creation of the PNP itself, merging and replacing the PC and the INP, was an early and major step towards civilianization of the Philippine security sector.[43]
 | This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (August 2023) |
A blackmail case occurred in Binondo, Manila when police officers abducted and blackmailed seven Chinese citizens suspected of drug trafficking on December 30, 1998.[49] After many months of detainment and torture, two Hong Kong residents were killed when the ransom money was not paid.[50] One police superintendent who knew of the operation was also killed.[49]
The Euro Generals scandal involves Eliseo de la Paz and several Philippine National Police officials who went to Russia in October 2008 to attend an Interpol conference. De la Paz was detained for carrying a large sum of undeclared money. A House panel investigating the scandal concluded that the six police officials who attended the conference had made the trip without authorization.[51] In 2010, the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft charges against twelve former and active ranking PNP officials for their alleged involvement in the incident.[52][53]
On December 5, 2008, ten suspected criminals, one policeman, and five civilians, a total of 16 people, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed in a shootout in Parañaque. Several others were wounded, including a ranking officer of the Highway Patrol Group, two members of the Special Action Force, a village watchman, and a security guard, said Director Leopoldo Bataoil, head of the Metro Manila regional police. The criminals belonged to a Waray-Waray gang and were armed with intermediate-caliber M16 rifles fitted with grenade launchers.[54]
The head of the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP said, "We failed in our mission to protect the civilians."[55] On July 29, 2009, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed multiple murder charges against 29 policemen, including three generals, in connection with the shootout following the filing of a complaint-affidavit by Lilian de Vera, who lost her husband and seven-year-old daughter in the incident.[56] On January 11, 2010, the Commission on Human Rights recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against 26 policemen[57] In March, it was reported that after two witnesses had said De Vera and his daughter were not killed in the shootout, that policemen already had complete control of the area where the two were killed.[58]
Inspector Joselito Binayug, chief of the Asuncion police community precinct in Tondo arrested Darius Evangelista on March 5, 2009, for alleged robbery. A torture video was leaked to the media and shown on television showing a police officer whipping and cursing the suspect and pulling on a rope that was tied to the victim's genitals. The incident allegedly happened inside the Asuncion police precinct in Tondo. Binayug was arrested for violating the Anti-Torture act of 2009. Separate charges were filed for Evangelista being tortured to death.[59][60]
On November 24, 2009, Senior Superintendent Abusana Maguid, the police chief of Maguindanao province, was reported to have been relieved of his duties after witnesses reported seeing three of his officers at the scene of the Maguindanao massacre in which 57 people, including journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses were killed.[61] On November 25 Maguid and Chief Inspector Sukarno Dikay were reported to have been relieved from post and placed under restrictive custody.[62] On November 26, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced that Maguid, Dikay, and others were suspected of involvement in the massacre.[63] On December 19, Maguid, Dikay, and others were reported to have been recommended for summary dismissal by the PNP high command.[64] On April 16, 2010, the National Police Commission ordered a 90-day suspension against Maguid, Dikay, and 60 other police personnel for their possible involvement in the killings.[65] On July 10, it was reported that Dikay had applied to become state witness, saying that he is confident that his testimony will pin down the masterminds of the killing.[66]
The Philippine National Police conceded that in the 2010 Manila hostage crisis they made blunders in ending a bus hijacking, as outrage grew over the bloody assault played out on live television that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead. The Hong Kong Economic Journal was reported to have accused the PNP of having "appalling professional standards" and "...[a] lack of strategic planning".[67]
The Philippine Commission on Human Rights filed charges against ten police officers after it was discovered that they routinely tortured detainees inside a secret detention facility in Biñan, Laguna. It was alleged that some "were tortured for the police officers’ amusement" when they're intoxicated. The facility is notorious for utilizing a roulette called the "Wheel of Torture", a play on the Wheel of Fortune, where various torture methods were printed. The wheel is rotated and wherever the pin stops, the indicated torture method is perpetrated on the detainee.[68]
The torture methods included a 20-second Manny Pacman punch, named after the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao, where the detainee is beaten for 20 seconds; "Paniki" which means being hung like a bat; "Tusok ulo ka" which means being pierced through the head; "Zombies" which means being electrocuted; and other degrading tasks like "duck walk" and "Ferris wheel".[69]
Sometime in January 2017, a Korean was killed inside Camp Crame.[70][71] The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) charged former NBI officials Roel Boliv, Ricardo Diaz, and Jose Yap in relation to the case.[72]
In 2013, an anti-illegal drug unit led by Police Chief Inspector (now Police Major) Rodney Baloyo launched an operation against a certain Chinese national inside a subdivision in Mexico, Pampanga. However, an alleged recycling of Methamphetamine Hydrocloride locally known as "Shabu" worth 648 million Philippine Pesos confiscated dubbed as "Agaw-Bato" by the media and setting drug lord Johnson Lee free were discovered by then Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief (now Baguio Mayor) Benjamin Magalong resulting to a dismissal of the 13 Policemen dubbed as "Ninja Cops" (including Baloyo) involved in the said operation. In 2019, Magalong revealed that PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde who was then the Pampanga Provincial Director when the incident happened, asked not to implement the dismissal of the cops involved in the recycling of drugs and often profited along with the cops involved.[73] The revelations caused Magalong receiving death threats and the resignation of Albayalde on October 14, 2019.[74][75]
In 2019, German news outlets reported that the Philippine National Police received training from Uniter Association (German: Verein Uniter), a non-government organization suspected to be a neo-Nazi paramilitary due to its alleged affiliation with a far-right network called "Hannibal".[76][77] Kontraste, a news magazine of Germany's public broadcasting network ARD reported that Uniter members held a training seminar at the Seda Hotel with high-ranking officers of the PNP, and other government officials, including E.R. Ejercito who posted photos of the seminar on his Facebook page two days after he was convicted for graft.[78][79] Uniter denied claims of training Filipino police forces in an attempt to establish right-wing extremist networks overseas, but insisted that they were there for "humanitarian" support for the PNP, which they claimed it as "unfortunate" timing given the ongoing war on drugs. Despite being reported across Germany amidst a neo-Nazi scandal that hit the Bundeswehr (which revolves around an alleged terror plot called "Day X"), it was not reported by Philippine media.[80][81] The PNP refused to comment on its involvement with Uniter.
The holding of a mañanita for NCRPO's chief (later PNP Chief) Debold Sinas amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila was criticized for breaching quarantine regulations. A mañanita is a customary celebration in the PNP where senior officers are greeted by their personnel early in the morning of their birthdays. The national police has filed charges against Sinas over the event for violation of existing regulations on social distancing and mass gatherings. However, Sinas was still able to keep his post due to the "emergency situation" posed by the pandemic, as self-proclaimed by him.[82][83]
Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca shot to death his two unarmed neighbors, Sonya Gregorio and her son Frank, in Paniqui, Tarlac, on December 20, 2020, at 5:10 pm (PST).[84] The incident was reported to the police 20 minutes later and, at 6:19 pm, Nuezca surrendered at the police station in Pangasinan.[84]
The incident started when Nuezca went to investigate the Gregorios who were shooting a boga–an improvised bamboo cannon used as a noisemaker every December. Nuezca tried to arrest Frank, who appeared to be drunk. This led to a heated argument with Sonya, which culminated in Nuezca killing the two by shooting them at close range.[84][85] According to Police Colonel Renante Cabico, director of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office, Nuezca was "off duty" at the time of the incident.[84] The police called the incident an "isolated case."[85]
The incident was captured on video and spread online. Several netizens and celebrities condemned the killings on social media with the hashtags #StopTheKillingsPH, #EndPoliceBrutality, #PulisAngTerorista, and #JusticeForSonyaGregorio dominating on Twitter in the Philippines, as well as in Singapore and Dubai.[86][87] Some critics also pointed at the government over the acts of impunity and human rights abuses in recent years.[88]
An indignation rally was done by numerous groups on December 21, 2020, at the Boy Scout Circle, Quezon City.[89]
The disgraced former PNP officer Jonel Nuezca was found guilty of murder in August 2021 and sentenced to "reclusion perpetua", which is 40 years imprisonment with parole possible after 30 years. He was also ordered to pay PHP 476,000 (US$9,377) to the heirs of each of the people he brutally murdered.[90]
On February 24, 2021, personnel of the Philippines National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was involved in a friendly fire incident. Personnel from both sides engaged in a gunfight with both sides saying they were conducting an anti-drug operation. The shootout resulted in 2 deaths and 1 injured on the side of the PNP and 2 deaths and 3 injured on the PDEA Side.[91]
On May 31, 2021, a police officer Police Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan, who appeared to be drunk, was filmed with a cell phone when he shot a 52-year-old woman named Lilybeth Valdez dead in close range outside the store in Fairview, Quezon City at around 9:30pm, following the heated argument between the two.[92] The incident was caught on video.[93] PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar confronts Zinampan for his crime.[94] The police filed an "administrative and criminal charges" against the police officer.[95] The incident sparked outrage on social media, trending the hashtag #PulisAngTerorista on June 1, 2021, with the netizen rejected the claims that the incident was "isolated case."[96] The incident was likened to the case of Tarlac shooting in December 2020.[96] There has been no further news on the status of the disgraced officer.
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