JINGGOY SAYS COPS NEED TO OUTWIT CROOKS, PUSHES FOR AN EFFICIENT POLICE ACADEMY

MANILA, September 12, 2012-Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada says the mandate of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to prevent crimes and to ensure public safety requires them to act proactively and outwit the criminals.

 

This developed as the PNP recently explained that the increased number of incidents of crimes in the National Capital Region (NCR) is due to the fact that the crooks have simply become “smarter.” The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) recorded 29,231 crime incidents in Metro Manila during the first half of 2012 – 57% higher than what is recorded during the same period of the previous year.

 

Sen. Estrada points out that an effective police training program equips the law enforcement authorities with potent tools, knowledge and principles to carry out their peacekeeping functions. The lawmaker also cites the high-profile case of the “kotong” cop showing that some members of the police may have joined the ranks of brazen criminals, instead of stopping them.

 

“I see the case of increased criminality not only a product of poverty, but also of ineffective police instruction and education. Some crooks do it for survival, while some continue to commit crime because they think they will not be caught and can get away with it.  Our cops must outwit the criminals, and not the other way around,” Sen. Estrada states. 

 

Meanwhile, Sen. Estrada is pushing for the strengthening of the police academies by placing them under the direct management, supervision and administration of the PNP.

 

Senate Bill 3218, authored by Sen. Estrada, seeks to amend the Republic Act 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 to transfer the operations of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), the Philippine National Training Institute (PNTI) and the National Police College (NPC) from the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) to the PNP.

 

Sen. Estrada says that the measure seeks to streamline the skills training, continued education and specialization of the police. Among the problems observed with the current system include:

 

·         There is a mismatch between the PNP training expectations and requirements and the actual services provided by the PPSC;

·         It allows lapses in coordination of programs and makes it difficult to develop a system of plan and budget for trainings internal to the PNP;

·         It results in unnecessary cost and waste of resources because PNP would conduct its own re-orientation and specialization programs, duplicating those already undertaken by PPSC.

 

Earlier, the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture adopted the proposal of Sen. Estrada as an amendment of its committee report strengthening the PPSC, effectively removing police training under the PPSC. The report was then recalled by the Chairman, Sen. Edgardo Angara, for further amendments. The measure is now pending approval on second reading.