House OKs on final reading bill raising recruitment quota of female cops

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives unanimously approved on Monday a bill seeking to increase the recruitment quota for female police from 10 to 20 percent.

With 171 affirmative votes and no negative vote or abstention, the lower chamber approved House Bill No. 9058 which seeks to amend Section 58 of the two-decade-old Republic Act No. 8551 or the Philippine National Police (PNP) Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998.

The provision requires PNP to prioritize the recruitment and training of women police officers who would serve in the women’s desks.

READ: PNP upbeat on proposal to hire more female cops

HB 9058 proposes that the PNP, within five years, reserve 15 percent (from 10 percent) of its annual recruitment, training and education quota for women, and thereafter increase the recruitment quota for women to 20 percent.

READ: House panel OKs doubling new female cops to 20% of recruits

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, the principal author of the bill, earlier pointed out that PNP only has 22,800 female officers who comprise less than 12 percent of the entire force of 194,410.

PNP is set to spend P3 billion this year to create 10,000 extra positions for Police Officer 1, he added.