Marcos backs rightsizing in PNP to avoid redundancies

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his speech at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, before flying to Brunei Darussalam for an official visit. INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supported rightsizing measures in the Philippine National Police (PNP) to avoid redundant functions.

According to a Palace statement on Wednesday, Marcos met with PNP leaders last Tuesday and told them that rightsizing would help enhance programs and projects

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“Wala ‘yung redundant na functions. Hindi nakakatulong o hindi na ginagamit dapat incorporate to be performing other functions. Nagbabago ang trabaho … andiyan pa rin siya, but we have many new jobs,” Marcos said.

(No more redundant functions. If it is not helpful or not being used, incorporate it with other functions. Jobs are changing but still there, but we have many new jobs.)

Marcos said that most personnel should be dedicated to investigation and operations.

In a Palace briefing on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. clarified that this does not mean PNP officers will lose their jobs. Abalos said that PNP Chief General Rommel Marbil is looking at which roles are redundant.

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Abalos said that the PNP top brass is reviewing which roles and teams could be merged so that more people could be deployed on the field.

“Importante talaga yung neighborhood beat. May nakikita kang police in the ground, napakalaking bagay yun,” said Abalos.

(The neighborhood beat is important. You should see police on the ground. That is a big thing.)