MANILA, Philippines — The director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Thursday reminded police trainees not to engage in money lending activities, in a bid to train them to keep away from extortion activities.
NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said involvement in lending might leave police trainees buried in debts which may later affect them once they become official members of the 27,000-strong NCRPO.
“Kapag police trainee, pinagbabawalan silang pumasok, pinagbabawalan silang mag-engage [sa lending],” he said in an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the reception rites for 230 new police trainees of the NCRPO at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Thursday.
The recruits are part of the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course Class 2020-01 “Sambagwis,” which is short for “Samahan ng mga Magigiting na Bayani na Gagabay at Walang Inuutangang Serbisyo Publiko” (A group of brave heroes who will guide and will selflessly perform public service).
“Kung ang pulis wala nang pera, pagpunta sa kalye anong gagawin [niya]? Automatic wala na siyang pera sa pang-araw araw na pangkain, anong gagawin niya? Maghahanap siya ng pera sa kalye,” Sinas explained.
(If the police officer does not have money anymore, what will he do on the ground? He will try to find money in the streets.)
For permanent police officers, however, Sinas said the directive does not apply since he believes they already know how to manage their finances.
Originally, there were 232 police trainees who recently graduated from different schools and applied to undertake training with the NCRPO. However, two of them have already resigned just two weeks after admission due to personal reasons.
Of the 230 trainees, 195 are men and 35 are women. While undergoing training, they already hold the ranks of patrolman or patrolwoman – the lowest ranks for non-commissioned officers of the PNP.
Maj. Gen. Ramon Rafael, director of the Philippine National Police Training Institute (PNPTI), said the trainees will be deployed to a mountainous area in Lucena City, Quezon to undergo a 45-day training similar to that undertaken by Special Action Force recruits. After that, they will also undergo four months of academic classes where they will learn “general subjects” about the PNP, and another six months of field training.
During his speech before the reception rites, Sinas reminded the police trainees to also shy away from hazing, bullying, sexual harassment, and other offenses.
He warned that committing these violations will result in their dismissal from the training.
He also ordered female trainors to regularly check on the female trainees if their rights as women are being observed during the course of the program.