INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Less than 100 former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) combatants were able to pass the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) recruitment process, according to an official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday.
While on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, DILG Usec. Lord Villanueva said that the PNP had initially screened around 700 applicants.
“There are around 700 who applied. Those who passed are just a little less than 100. So, you can see again that the standards are quite strict,” said Villanueva in a mix of English and Filipino.
This batch of applicants had begun training “just started a few weeks ago,” said Villanueva.
According to Villanueva, some of the tests that the former MILF and MNLF combatants go through include a neuro psychiatric exam, character and background investigation, drug test, as well as a rigorous physical exam.
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The applicants are also assessed without testers knowing their face and name, he said.
Villanueva said that there may be a third batch of applicants soon.
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“There may be a third batch because the quota given by the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) is around 400, 400 recruits,” said the DILG official.
Meanwhile, the first batch of former MNLF and MILF recruits (composed of 178 people) are in the middle of a six-month training period, said Villanueva.