PNP restructuring bill hurdles second reading in House

Police officers march at the Philippine National Police grounds in Camp Crame in Quezon City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The push to restructure the Philippine National Police (PNP) is a step closer in the House of Representatives after House Bill (HB) No. 8327 was passed on second reading on Tuesday.

HB No. 8327, which seeks to amend various sections of Republic Act No. 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 and R.A. No. 8551 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, was approved via viva voce or voice voting.

The measure — a consolidated version of House Joint Resolution No. 11 and HB Nos. 5229 and 7351 — seeks to institutionalize offices created under the PNP chief’s command by amending Section 25 of R.A. No. 6975.

Under the bill, the PNP chief shall have a Command Group composed of the offices of the Deputy Chief of the PNP for Administration, the Deputy Chief of the PNP for Operations, and the Chief of the Directorial Staff.

“The National Office shall [house the] have a directorial staff, [service staff] national administrative and operational support units, and special [support units] police offices.  In clustered police regional offices, the PNP shall have area police commands,” the amended Section 25, if HB No. 8327 is enacted, states.

At the regional level, the PNP would have the Police Regional Office, including the National Capital Region Police Office, which a regional director would head.

For the metropolitan level, component cities would have a city police office with a city director.  Meanwhile, at the municipal level, there would be a police station headed by a chief of police.

gsg/abc