MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde welcomed on Thursday a new law transferring the training of police recruits to the supervision and control of the agency.
Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 12, Republic Act No. 11279 transfers the supervision of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) to the PNP from the Philippine Public Safety College.
READ: Duterte signs law transferring police training jurisdiction from PPSC to PNP
Albayalde has been calling for the passage of the law as it will allow the PNP to train recruits, especially in the PNPA, which has been marred by scandals including an oral sex controversy and the mauling of six fresh graduates in 2018.
“We would like to thank Congress for passing it, and of course the President for signing it,” Albayalde said in a press conference at Camp Crame.
“Wala na kami ditong rason kapag meron pang hindi magandang nangyari or meron pa pang-aabuso (We no longer have any reason if untoward incidents or cases of abuse happen again),” he added.
With the passage of the law, Albayalde said the PNP can no longer pin the blame anyone for the training of future police officers, as the agency has also been intensifying its internal cleansing program to rid the police force of scalawags.
“Ang responsibility really lies on us so wala na po kaming pwedeng maging excuse dito (The responsibility lies on us, so we no longer have any excuse),” Albayalde stressed. (Editor: Eden Estopace)
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