Keeping scalawags out, PNP wants to manage police academy

Philippine National Polic. FILE PHOTO

Can the Philippine National Police (PNP) weed out scalawags even before they enter the police force?

In the wake of the recent crimes involving crooks in uniform, the PNP wants to oversee and manage the training of future policemen—a task currently delegated to the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC).

The police hierarchy is hopeful that with more supervision and control over the training, they can weed out the bad apples in the police force early on.

“If these men had properly been schooled and trained in our own PNP school, they would have been activated at once and the state would not have wasted time and taxpayers’ money retraining or reorienting them, just so they know what to do and where to begin,” said PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima.

Under the current set-up, the PPSC has administrative supervision and operational control of the Philippine National Police Academy, the Police National Training Institute, the National Police College and the National Forensic Science Training Institute.

In 2013, Pampanga Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, a former PNP spokesperson, filed a proposed measure seeking to transfer control of the training from the PPSC to the PNP.

Purisima lamented that policemen fresh out of training school are sometimes unaware of how to conduct beat patrols.

In the Sept. 1 Edsa robbery-abduction incident, for example, eight of those involved are active policemen. Of this number, five hold the rank of PO2, or are relatively new to the police service.

Aside from weeding out the hardened scalawags in the PNP, Purisima said the police force should have its own academics and training school for rank and file personnel and for officers.

“More than this, more than the negative side, the right culture and inspiration can be imbedded in the minds and morals of all students and trainees. Most importantly, the right moves, behavior and techniques can now be taught to the new policemen and officers,” he said.

In a separate interview, PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac said the PNP will have closer supervision, safeguard, control and accountability if the training of new recruits was the PNP’s responsibility.

“Since the PPSC is created by law, we are pushing for the amendment of that law for us to oversee the training of policemen again,” the official said.

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