Two policewomen in action AFP PHOTO
The Philippine National Police (PNP) wants to limit its annual recruitment, training, and education quota for female officers to 10 percent as mandated by the law, its chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Monday.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel earlier said the quota for female officers should be doubled to 20 percent so that only policewomen will have custody of children and women brought to police stations.
Albayalde, however, said the PNP already exceeded the 10 percent quota as mandated by Section 58 of the Republic Act 8551 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998.
“That’s why we want to limit talaga yung ating mga [policewomen in PNP]. Hindi naman natin dinidiscriminate yung mga female police, but then marami na rin kasi kaming nakuhang mga policewomen,” he said in a press briefing.
Albayalde said most of their female recruits were in charge of desk jobs or administrative duties, but added that many of them were also assigned to the field, even to the Special Action Force.
“Sumobra na kami doon sa 10 percent kaya we want to concentrate, we stick to the 10 percent talaga kasi baka sumobra ang dami [of policewomen],” he said.
(We have exceeded the 10 percent that’s why we want to concentrate, we really stick to the 10 percent because there could be a lot of female officers.)
Albayalde also said that some “restrictions” surround the policewomen, particularly the extended maternity leave for female workers for 105 days.
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“Just imagine hindi mo magamit ‘yung pulis for that span of time, pero we follow the 10-percent rule. As of this time it’s more than 10 percent. Umaabot pa nga yata ng 12 kung hindi ako nagkakamali,” he said.
(Just imagine when you cannot utilize that police officer for that span of time, but we follow the 10-percent rule. As of this time, it’s more than 10 percent. It even reaches 12 if I am not mistaken.) /cbb