PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

HISTORY
Until the mid-1970s, when a major restructuring of the nation's police system was undertaken,
the Philippine Constabulary alone was responsible for law enforcement on a national level.
Independent city and municipal police forces took charge of maintaining peace and order on a
local level, calling on the constabulary for aid when the need arose.
The National Police Commission, established in 1966 to improve the professionalism and
training of local police, had loose supervisory authority over the police. It was widely accepted,
however, that this system had several serious defects. Most noteworthy were jurisdictional
limitations, lack of uniformity and coordination, disputes between police forces, and partisan
political involvement in police employment, appointments, assignments, and promotions. Local
political bosses routinely used police as private armies, protecting their personal interests and
intimidating political opponents.
In order to correct such deficiencies, the 1973 constitution provided for the integration of public
safety forces. Several presidential decrees were subsequently issued, integrating the police,
fire, and jail services in the nation's more than 1,500 cities and municipalities.
On August 8, 1975, Presidential Decree 765 officially established the joint command structure of
the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police. The constabulary, which had a well-
developed nationwide command and staff structure, was given the task of organizing the
integration. The chief of the Philippine Constabulary served jointly as the director general of the
Integrated National Police. As constabulary commander, he reported through the military chain
of command, and as head of the Integrated National Police, he reported directiy to the minister
(later secretary) of national defense. The National Police Commission was transferred to the
Ministry (later Department) of National Defense, retaining its oversight responsibilities but
turning over authority for training and other matters to the Philippine Constabulary and
Integrated National Police.
The Integrated National Police was assigned responsibility for public safety, protection of lives
and property, enforcement of laws, and maintenance of peace and order throughout the nation.
To carry out these responsibilities, it was given powers "to prevent crimes, effect the arrest of
criminal offenders and provide for their detention and rehabilitation, prevent and control fires,
investigate the commission of all crimes and offenses, bring the offenders to justice, and take all
necessary steps to ensure public safety." In practice, the Philippine Constabulary retained
responsibility for dealing with serious crimes or cases involving jurisdictions far separated from
one another, and the Integrated National Police took charge of less serious crimes and local
traffic, crime prevention, and public safety.
The Integrated National Police's organization paralleled that of the constabulary. The thirteen
Philippine Constabulary regional command headquarters were the nuclei for the Integrated
National Police's regional commands. Likewise, the constabulary's seventy-three provincial
commanders, in their capacity as provincial police superintendents, had operational control of
Integrated National Police forces in their respective provinces. Provinces were further
subdivided into 147 police districts, stations, and substations. The constabulary was responsible
for patrolling remote rural areas. In Metro Manila's four cities and thirteen municipalities, the
Integrated National Police's Metropolitan Police Force shared the headquarters of the
constabulary's Capital Command.
The commanding general of the Capital Command was also the director of the Integrated
National Police's Metropolitan Police Force and directed the operations of the capital's four
police and fire districts.
As of 1985, the Integrated National Police numbered some 60,000 people, a marked increase
over the 1980 figure of 51,000. Approximately 10 percent of these staff members were fire and
prison officials, and the remainder were police. The Philippine National Police Academy
provided training for Integrated National Police officer cadets. Established under the Integrated
National Police's Training Command in 1978, the academy offered a bachelor of science degree
in public safety following a two-year course of study. Admission to the school was highly
competitive.
The Integrated National Police force was the subject of some criticism and the repeated object
of reform. Police were accused of involvement in illegal activities, violent acts, and abuse.
Charges of corruption were frequent. To correct the Integrated National Police's image problem,
the government sponsored programs to identify and punish police offenders and introduced
training designed to raise their standard of appearance, conduct, and performance.
SOURCE: https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/philippines/pnp-history.htm

THE PNP MISSION AND VISION

SOURCE: http://www.pnp.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/organizational-structure

PNP PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

PROBLEM 1:
Ping: PNP’s problem is PNP itself
posted January 06, 2015 at 12:01 am by Francisco Tuyay
WHILE Interior Secretary Mar Roxas vowed to change lawmen’s image of “pulis patola” to “pulis
panalo,” former Philippine National Police chief Panfilo Lacson reiterated his earlier declaration
that the main problem of the PNP is the PNP itself.

“When I was asked the same question, I answered without hesitation, without mental
reservation that the problem of the PNP is the PNP,” said Lacson, who was elected senator
twice after he became national police chief.
“There should be internal cleansing,” Lacson said. “There should be discipline and negative
issues against the PNP, like mulcting, payola from gambling operators, so forth and so on,
should be removed.”

The former senator said changing the image of the PNP was a big job that should not be taken
lightly and he was only able to do so by implementing a “no take” policy that weeded out rogue
cops and even ordering cops to maintain a 34-inch maximum waistline.

“The PNP is just waiting to be led properly,” Lacson said, hastening to add “I’m not saying that
the previous one did not lead it properly. I’m not being judgmental. After all, the case is already
with the Ombudsman and the logical conclusion will come from there.”

But Lacson said Espina is known to be a straight arrow who can instill discipline in the police
force.

“This is a good opportunity for him to show the way, show leadership, leadership by example”
Lacson said. “I think General Espina has the credibility to bank on. That’s important.”

“That negative image of the police force, that is not in character with how I know Alan,” Aquino
said on the suspended PNP chief who was his bodyguard when he was attacked by mutinying
soldiers when his mother was president in 1987.

SOURCE: http://www.manilastandard.net/news/-main-stories/top-stories/167483/ping-pnp-s-
problem-is-pnp-itself.html

SOLUTION:

PROBLEM 2:
PNP insists: 'All drug war deaths being investigated'

MANILA, Philippines – All killings are being investigated.

This was the assurance given by the Philippine National Police (PNP) after the Supreme Court
(SC) ruled for the release of tens of thousands of documents related to the killings linked to
President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

The SC requested for the documents as it decides on the constitutionality of the government's
flagship project.

"What I'm confident of is, during our time even until now, those police operations, all of them are
being investigated, even those which we call deaths under investigation," PNP chief General
Oscar Albayalde told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino in Camp Crame.
"All of those are being investigated by our IAS (Internal Affairs Service), even the alleged EJKs
(extrajudicial killings)," Albayalde said.

The PNP IAS, however, only files administrative cases – not criminal ones. Its independence
has also been questioned, given that the department is also manned by cops. And killings which
are being criminally investigated have not shown promising results. (READ: Duterte gov't allows
'drug war' deaths to go unsolved)

By ruling in favor of the release, the Court will now share a copy of documents related to 20,322
killings by vigilantes and policemen across the Philippines to the Center for International Law
(CenterLaw) and the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).

The investigation hits closer to home for the PNP chief, as he led the National Capital Region
Police Office (NCRPO) when the so-called drug war hit a climax in police operation killings in
late 2016.

The PNP's defense has always been the same: That drug suspects fought back (nanlaban),
forcing cops to retaliate and shoot them dead. – Rappler.com

SOURCE: https://www.rappler.com/nation/227255-pnp-insists-all-drug-war-deaths-being-
investigated

SOLUTION:

PROBLEM 3:

Police endorse 'doble plaka' anew after EDSA-Connecticut shooting

Rambo Talabong
Published 3:58 PM, March 27, 2019
Updated 3:58 PM, March 27, 2019
MANILA, Philippines – Police are endorsing the use by motorcycles of bigger and two plates
(doble plaka) after the EDSA-Connecticut shooting which left a Metro Manila-assigned cop
dead.

Speaking in a press briefing on Wednesday, March 27, Metro Manila Eastern Police District
(EPD) chief Brigadier General Christopher Tambungan said the implementation of
the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act is a "good recommendation."
"'Yun ang maganda eh, 'yun ang maganda, tungkol sa doble plaka, pati 'yung malaki (That is
good, having two bigger plates)," Tambungan told reporters after being asked for policy
recommendations after the shooting, the second along EDSA in 5 weeks.

This is because cops currently struggle to track down criminals using motorcycles because they
have only one license plate which is attached to the back of the bike.

In the case of the EDSA-Connecticut shooting, cops still have no telling leads as to who or how
many the suspects are. They just know that a motorcycle was used to approach and kill
Police Senior Master Sergeant Solomon Cugay then escaped.

Tambungan noted, however, that even with the law, the ball is now in the court of the Land
Transportation Office (LTO) for the production and distribution of the plates.

"Marami rin kasi ang motorsiklong walang plaka, hindi ibig sabihin [kasalanan nila]...Walang
plaka kasi wala pang binibigay ang LTO (There are so many motorcycles without plates. It
doesn't mean it's their fault. They don't have it because the LTO hasn't given it to them),"
Tambungan said.

The "doble plaka" provision of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act has been criticized by
motorcycle riders, as they said it would be dangerous to attach two huge plates for all
motorcycle sizes.

Police chief General Oscar Albayalde, a rider himself, earlier urged the public to first give it a try
before criticizing the proposal. – Rappler.com

SOURCE: https://www.rappler.com/nation/226774-police-endorse-doble-plaka-anew-after-edsa-
connecticut-shooting

SOLUTION: