US envoy, local execs agree: Police perform better with women officers onboard

MANILA, Philippines – United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim and other local officials have agreed that police units perform better when women officers are integrated and their abilities maximized.

Kim said this during the 1st Asia Regional Women Leading Law Enforcement Conference on Monday, addressing questions with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, and Philippine National Police (PNP) Community Relations deputy chief Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bustamante.

“What we have found in the United States and in other countries is that police forces that fully-utilized women’s talents, commitment, and other things perform much better.  I think it is in everybody’s interest to have robust participation of women officers and police persons around the globe,” the envoy said.

Belmonte, who was asked about her opinion increasing the male to female officer ratio, said that there should be no quota at all, and that the criteria for women to be accepted into the police service would be their qualifications.

“I believe that we shouldn’t be even talking about quotas, because you’re putting already a limit to women’s abilities to be members of the law enforcement sector […] I think that women should be judged based on their ability, their merit, whatever they can bring into the table,” she explained.

“So sana wala nang quota, basta kaya mo, pwede kang maging pulis (I hope there is no quota, that just because you are qualified, you can be a police officer),” she added.

The conference — first of its kind in the Asean region — aims to identify shared challenges of women officers and at the same time break down stereotypes that affect their performance.

In the Philippines, more women have been accepted into the PNP, as part of gender equality efforts in the country.  Just this September, female officers of the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group were tapped to help ease traffic in Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare — although it was criticized for allegedly objectifying women.

According to Bustamante, 15.32 percent of the more than 186,000-strong PNP are female officers — well over the 10 percent quota set by PNP.

READ: PNP to stick to 10 percent recruitment quota for policewomen

“But we’re lucky because we surpassed the 10 percent, in fact 15 percent na nga sila ngayon sa PNP (they’re already at 15 percent in the PNP), and we intend to have more policewomen in the service, so wala kaming problema doon (so we have no problem there),” Bustamante said.

Just recently, there were proposals to bring back the quota over fears that the strength of police personnel may be halved when women are given more paid leaves after the enactment of the Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) law.

READ: Solon: Limiting female PNP recruits due to pregnancy ‘unfair’

Former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said this was not in discrimination of the female population, as all applicants go through the same process.

READ: Limiting number of female cops not meant to discriminate — Albayalde

Kim said that one problem why less women apply for the police force is because they are being underestimated and deemed to be ‘weaker’ than their male counterparts.  However, he also clarified that women may also limit themselves and think they are not apt for the job.

“There are institutional barriers but also misconceptions on both sides.  I think many women place artificial limits on what they might pursue in the law enforcement area because they think those areas belong to men,” Kim noted.

“And men also I think way underestimate women’s capabilities and their ability to contribute to law enforcement activities,” he added.

Edited by JE