PNP mulls assigning non-police jobs to civilians

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police said it was looking into the possibility of assigning non-police jobs to civilians or non-uniformed personnel in a bid to deploy officers assigned inside police headquarters nationwide to do field works.

“Pinagaralan lang natin para ma-download ang mga pulis sa mga kalsada where they are needed,” PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. said in a press conference, citing a three-day dry-run that started Saturday which tested the possibility of replacing police officers manning entry points of the PNP’s National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, with security guards.

During the dry run, Cerbo said 21 security guards from the Utopia Security Agency were sent to Camp Crame and were made to guard the camp’s Santolan Gate (Gate 2) where pedestrians enter, as well as the gates where vehicles enter. The guards remain supervised, nonetheless, by police officers during their entire stay at the camp.

“For example dito lang sa Camp Crame, meron tayong pulis na trabaho ay magmaneho nung garbage truck natin. Pwede nating i-subcontract sa mga civilians so that yung mga pulis natin ay magagamit natin for police works, and that includes yung mga nagu-guwardya sa gate,” Cerbo said, adding that the idea is believed to be cost efficient.

Cerbo said the PNP would be able to spend less in salaries for security guards compared to the P18,000 per month salary for rookie police officers, which does not yet include bonuses.

“Hindi naman natin ipapaubaya totally sa guards yung pagbabantay ng Crame, may magsu-supervise pa rin d’yan and of course pag meron gulo, may mga reaction teams pa rin na reresponde pero just the same, pinagaaralan pa to ha tinitingnan pa rin yung pros and cons,” he said.

He said that if ever the idea will be put into effect, possible security guards for the job will undergo proper training, and will be subjected to an “extensive background check.”