Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa questioned a memorandum circular issued by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) which affects the career advancement of the officers of the Philippine National Police.
During the Senate plenary deliberations on the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) proposed budget for 2025, Dela Rosa raised the concerns of PNP officers about the memorandum circular which provided that all mandatory and specialized training of police officers will not be counted to accumulate the prescribed time in grade requirement in a particular rank.
The former PNP chief said this is the first time that he heard of such a policy, which he believes, discourages police officers from taking advanced classes for their promotions.
“Ni-re-require pa natin ang ating mga tao na mag-schooling as a requirement for promotion. Ngayon, hindi na natin ika-count ‘yung kanilang schooling sa time in grade,” Dela Rosa noted.
“Mahirap intindihin ng ordinaryong pulis dahil first time ito nangyari.”
“Mahirap intindihin ng ordinaryong pulis dahil first time ito nangyari…Ibig sabihin ‘pag nag-schooling ka ng mandatory schooling or specialized schooling, parang wala kang ranggo noon kasi hindi counted ‘yung panahon na ‘yun,” the legislator explained.
For the lawmaker, this new memorandum from the NAPOLCOM affects the morale and welfare of the PNP officers.
“Nakaka-demoralize talaga ito…Lahat naman tayo gustong happy ang ating kapulisan because they are serving this country and they’re offering their lives in the service of this country. So, marapat lamang na dapat happy sila, hindi sila malungkot,” the Mindanaoan senator stressed.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who defended the budget of the DILG, admitted that the NAPOLCOM had a mistake in the wordings of the memorandum circular that Dela Rosa questioned.
“Once na ma-reorganize ang NAPOLCOM, mag-i-isyu ng bagong circular rectifying all these errors.”
“Dapat po ‘yun ay time and position at ang nangyari po dito ay binabago, nire-reorganize ‘yung NAPOLCOM and nakakasigurado po kayo, your honor, na once na ma-reorganize ang NAPOLCOM, mag-i-isyu ng bagong circular rectifying all these errors which your honor just mentioned. So itatama po ito,” Tolentino, who was speaking on behalf of the DILG, said.
Dela Rosa welcomed the DILG’s response, saying it would be better for the policemen’s promotion if the “time in grade” term in the memorandum circular was replaced with “time in position”.
“That is beneficial to the policeman kasi [if it is] time in position, nag-schooling ka for six months, tapos ‘yung position na ‘yan requires na at least one year ka lang d’yan, nabawasan ka na ng six months sa position na ‘yan dahil nag-schooling ka na,” he explained.
Dela Rosa’s position was also supported by incumbent PNP Chief Pol. Gen. Rommel Marbil who was seen nodding his head while Dela Rosa explained the need for the NAPOLCOM memorandum circular to be amended.
“I’m sure that we are in agreement as far as our position in this particular policy [is concerned],” Dela Rosa concluded.
