Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / EARVIN PERIAS
Three-billion pesos of the proposed budget of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2019 will fund the creation of 10,000 additional positions for Police Officer 1 (PO1), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Wednesday.
This will improve the police force of the PNP to a 1:505 police-to-population ratio, which is close to the 1:500 ideal ratio, the DBM said in a statement.
“The government eyes more recruits in the police force to ramp up efforts at addressing criminality in the country,” DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno noted.
The additional positions will be covered by the new salary scheme for the Military and Uniformed Personnel in accordance with Congresss Joint Resolution No. 1 Series of 2018 issued in January.
The resolution also increases the base pay of the military and uniformed personnel of the PNP and equivalent ranks in the defense and other public order and safety units.
Funds for additional positions in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) were likewise provided by the government, according to DBM.
The DBM, meanwhile, has allotted P803 million for the creation of 3,000 Fire Officer 1 positions in the BFP. P576 million has also been provided for 2,000 Jail Officer 1 posts in the BJMP.
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This proposed increase in jail personnel is in time for the raise in number of inmates due to intensive campaign of the government against criminality, the DBM said. /jpv
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