Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No,__8929

Introduced by: HON. JOSEPH “JOJO” L. LARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 35 of Republic Act (RA) No. 6975 (An Act Establishing the Philippine
National Police under a Reorganized Department of the Interior and Local
Government, and for other Purposes) provides that:

"The PNP shall be supported by administrative and operational support units.
The administrative support units shall consist of the Crime Laboratory, Logistic Unit,
Communications Unit, Computer Center, Finance Center and Civil Security Unit. The
operational support units shall be composed of the Maritime Police Unit, Police
Intelligence Unit, Police Security Unit, Criminal Investigation Unit, Special Action Force,
Narcotics units, Aviation Security Unit, Traffic Management Unit, the Medical and
Dental Centers and the Civil Relations Unit. To enhance police operational efficiency
and effectiveness, the Chief of the PNP may constitute such other support units as
may be necessary subject to the approval of the Commission: Provided, That no
support unit headed by a chief superintendent or a higher rank can be created unless
provided by law.”

For several years, the PNP Recruitment Program is being implemented by the
Recruitment and Selection Division (now Police Non-Commissioned Division) under the
Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM), As such, pursuant to
NAPOLCOM Resolution No. 2019-1030 dated December 27, 2019, the PNP
Recruitment and Selection Service (PRSS) was activated as a National Administrative
Support Unit, under the functional supervision and control of the DPRM, in order to
institutionalize the standard implementation of the PNP Recruitment and Selection
Program to ensure the entry of qualified and competent uniformed personnel in the
PNP.

The recruitment, selection and appointment process in the PNP needs to be
separately enacted into law in order to specifically provide measures to safeguard the
recruitment system and to prevent various forms of corruption, including, but not
limited to, “Padrino”, “Bata-Bata System” and “Kamag-Anak Incorporation” which can
cause the recruitment and appointment of “scalawags”, “Ninja Cops” and relatives
involved in illegal drugs or illegal activities.


Further, a separate law on PNP recruitment shall define the qualification
standards for Patrolman/woman, technical and line officers, PNP Cadets and other
mode of entry in PNP as uniformed personnel. This proposed bill will clearly pave the
way for a paperless and modernized recruitment process that will facilitate and
drastically shorten the length of the entire recruitment process from six months to one
month. This will surely stop any attempt of corrupting the recruitment process and
prevent the appointment of disqualified applicants for Patrolman/woman, Technical
and Line Officer and PNPA Cadet.

Moreover, this bill will allow the recruitment and appointment of Pilots as Police
Captains to make PNP competitively attractive to all commercial pilots as well as
recruitment and appointment of Aeronautical Engineers and Aviation Professionals to
strengthen the air unit of the PNP. This bill also provides for the recruitment and
appointment of Psychologists/Psychometricians, Medical Technologists, Chemists, and
other medical professionals to complete the needs of the Health Service and Crime
Laboratory, to support the establishment of molecular laboratories nationwide.
Likewise, this bill includes recruitment and appointment of Veterinary Doctors for the
welfare of the EOD/K9 units who patrol public places and airports.

Lastly, with the increasing population, the PNP strength also increases and
there is a need to provide legal and juridical personality for PNP Recruitment and
Selection Service (PRSS), as one of the National Administrative Support Units, solely
for purposes of recruitment, selection and appointment processing in order to facilitate
the entry in PNP, avoid corruption and to streamline the appointment similar with the
system during PC/INP days or the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

This proposed measure seeks to amend specific provisions of RA 6975 as
amended by RA 8551 and RA 9708 in order to guarantee the implementation of the
PNP Recruitment and Selection Program for Patrolman/Patrolwoman, PNPA Cadets
and Lateral Entry for Line and Technical Officers that will uphold a professional
workforce to improve the quality of law enforcement in the country.

This bill will surely provide prompt identification of accountability to specific
person/s responsible for any irregularities and anomalies during recruitment, selection
and appointment processing as uniformed personnel for PNP.

In view thereof, the immediate passage of this proposed legislative measure is
earnestly sought.

HON. JOSEPH “JOJO” L. LARA
ce


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8928

Introduced by: HON. JOSEPH “JOJO” L. LARA

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THE RECRUITMENT,
SELECTION, AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS OF UNIFORMED PERSONNEL OF
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP): AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6975, AS AMENDED BY
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8551 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9708, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "PVP Recruitment
and Selection Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish
a highly efficient, effective and competent police force, which is national in scope,
civilian in character, and administered and controlled by the National Police
Commission.

SECTION 3. Objectives. —The PNP shall establish a specific unit responsible
for the recruitment and selection of all applicants for Patrolman/Patrolwoman, PNPA
Cadets and Lateral Entry for Line and Technical Officers in order to improve the quality
of police services in the country with the following objectives:

1. To enhance the capability of the PNP through institutionalization of standard
recruitment processing for Police Patrolman/Patrolwoman, PNPA Cadets and
Lateral Entry for Line and Technical Officers by establishing the PNP
Recruitment and Selection Service as a separate unit devoted only for the
purpose;

2. To establish a one-stop shop recruitment process for
Patrolman/Patrolwoman in every region in order to prioritize and encourage
graduates in the provinces and remote areas to join the PNP service;


47

3. To establish qualification standards for Aircraft/Aeronautical Engineers,
other related aviation professionals, Chemists, | Psychologists/
Psychometricians, Medical Technologists, other medical allied professionals,
Veterinary Medicine, and Information Technology professionals to the Rank
of Police Lieutenant as well as Lawyers and Aircraft Pilots to the rank of
Police Captain;

4. To entice above named professionals both civilian and in-service to serve
exclusively to the PNP technical offices/units to support police operations
and public services to the general public; and

5. To simplify and streamline the attestation process.

SECTION 4. Section 27 of RA No. 6975 is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 27. Manning Levels. - On the average nationwide, the manning
levels of the PNP shall be approximately in accordance with a police-to-
population ratio of one (1) policeman for every five hundred (500) persons.
The actual determination of police-to-population ratio shall only include the
actual strength of police deployed in Provincial Police Offices, City Police Offices,
and Municipal Police Stations. The actual strength by cities and municipalities
shall depend on the state of peace and order, population density and actual
demands of the service in the particular area.

SECTION 5. Section 30 of RA No. 6975, as amended by Section 14 of RA 8551

and Section 1 of RA 9708 is hereby further amended to read as follows:

rn

Section 30. General Qualifications of Appointment. — No person shall
be appointed as officer or member of the PNP unless he possesses the following
minimum qualifications:

XXX

(h) Must be at least one (1) meter and fifty-seven (57) centimeters in height
for male and one (1) meter and fifty-two (52) centimeters for female.
For Technical Officers and members of Indigenous Peoples (IP), height
requirement shall be at least one (1) meter and fifty-two (52)
centimeters for male and one (1) meter and forty-seven (47) centimeters
for female, provided that a certification be issued by National Police
Commission or the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
as to their lineage/ancestry.

XXX

g-commplianee-with the requirements-on physical and

tal-health,-a5-well-as-the-non-use-of prohibited-crugs, the PNP by itself or

through—2_NAPOLCOM accredited_gov



The physical, mental and medical screening process, as well as the testing for
the non-use of prohibited drugs shall be conducted by any government tertiary
hospital accredited by the Department of Health through the supervision of medical
doctors from the PNP Health Service. Random physical, mental and drug testing
without any notice shall also be done as to ascertain compliance with the
requirements.

XXX
SECTION 6. Section 31 of RA No. 6975 is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 31. Appointment of PNP Officers and Members. - The
PNP Recruitment and Selection Service shall be the sole office responsible for
the recruitment process of all applicants. The appointment shall be effected in
the following manner:

a, The appointment cadet for Philippine National Police Academy shall be
signed by the Chief, PNP starting from salary grade of eighteen (18) for
fourth class, salary grade nineteen (19) for third class, salary grade twenty
(20) for second class, salary grade twenty-one (21) for first class and to
salary grade twenty-two (22) for Police Lieutenant after graduation;

b. The appointment of Police Non-Commissioned Officers shall be signed by
concerned Regional Directors or Directors of National Support Units;

c. The appointment of Police Commissioned Officers shall be signed by the
Chief, PNP; and

d. The appointment of Third Level Officers and members shall be signed by
the President of the Philippines.

The attestation of appointment of all uniformed personnel, except for Third
Level, shall be attested by the Civil Service Commission.

SECTION 7. Section 33 of Republic Act No. 6975 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

Section 33. Lateral Entry of Officers into the PNP. - In general,
the appointments of commissioned officers in the PNP through lateral entry is
considered as original and not promotional appointment. The original
appointment shall commence with the rank of Police Lieutenant, to include all
those with highly technical qualifications applying for the PNP technical
services, such as Chemist, Medical Technologist, Dentist, Nurse,
Psychologist/Psychometrician, Veterinary Medicine, Information Technology
Professionals, Aeronautical Engineer/Aviation Professional, and other related
technical professions. The Aircraft Pilot, Doctor of Medicine, Member of the


Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Chaplain shall be appointed to the rank
of Police Captain in their particular technical service. The qualification standard
shall be in accordance with the Index Occupational Standards or the laws
governing the practice of the respective profession.

Graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) shall be
automatically appointed to the initial rank of Police Lieutenant.

Licensed Criminologists shall be appointed to the rank of Police
Lieutenant as Line Officers to fill up any vacancy after promotions from the
ranks are completed,

The PNP personnel are given priority to join the Lateral Entry Program.
The in-service years of experience shall be considered equivalent to years of
experience required for appointment. In-service Licensed Criminologists of PNP
regardless of rank may join the PNP Lateral Entry Program for line officers
provided that the present rank of appointment is permanent in status with no
derogatory record or pending criminal and administrative complaint/case and
physically, mentally and medically fit.

SECTION 8. Section 35 of RA No. 6975 is hereby amended to read as

follows:

Section 35. Support Units.— The PNP shall be supported by
administrative and operational support units. The administrative support units
shall consist of the Crime Laboratory, Logistic Unit, Communications Unit,
Computer Center, Finance Center, Civil Security Unit and the Recruitment and
Selection Service. The operational support units shall be composed of the
Maritime Police Unit, Police Intelligence Unit, Police Security Unit, Criminal
Investigation Unit, Special Action Force, Narcotics units, Aviation Security Unit,
Traffic Management Unit, the Medical and Dental Centers and the Civil Relations
Unit. To enhance police operational efficiency and effectiveness, the Chief of
the PNP may constitute such other support units as may be necessary subject
to the approval of the Commission: Provided, That no support unit headed by
a chief superintendent or a higher rank can be created unless provided by law.

XXX

(7) The Recruitment and Selection Service shall be headed by a Police
Brigadier General who shall be responsible in the recruitment and
selection of applicants for Patrolman/Patrolwoman, PNPA Cadets and
Lateral Entry for line and technical officers nationwide. The functions
shall include but not limited to the following such as:

a. Determining recruitment quota, distribution of recruitment quota,
qualification standards;


b. Conduct of one-month recruitment through establishing a one-stop
shop facilities/venues for the recruitment processing composed of
Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, and other Medical Professions detailed
from the PNP Health Service and other medical practitioners from
government tertiary hospitals accredited by the Department of
Health under the supervision of medical doctors from the PNP Health
Service;

c. Design electronic programs and gadgets for the online registration of
application of applicants, conduct of Assessment Test/Written
Competitive Examinations, Psychological/Psychiatric Evaluation and
utilized electronic machines for Physical/Medical and Dental
Examinations for establishment of database of applicants;

d. Strengthen the coordination with Academe and other Government
Agencies for data sharing and improvement on the quality of
graduates who will be the future Police Officers; and

e. Spearhead amendment of laws, policies, and circulars on recruitment
of Police Officers and Members.

SECTION 9. Permanency and Termination of Appointment of
Uniformed Personnel, - All uniformed personnel appointed as
Patrolman/Patrolwoman and Lateral Entry Line and Technical Officers shall be
appointed in a temporary status. Permanent appointment shall be issued after
completion of required basic training and Field Training Program for twelve months.
Extension of temporary status is prohibited except for compelling reasons, provided
the same is beyond the control and not attributable to the appointee, provided further
the extension is only for twelve months.

All uniformed personnel who failed to comply with the above provision shall be
terminated without prejudice for reappointment provided that they still meet the
minimum qualification standards as set by RA No. 6975 as amended by RA No. 8551
and RA No. 9708, respectively.

All uniformed personnel in temporary status who committed infractions,
violations, and offenses shall, after due process, be terminated with prejudice to re-
entry or reappointment. The termination proceeding shall be conducted by Training
Institution with strict observance of due process wherein the recommendation for
termination shall be approved by the appointing authority within thirty (30) days from
date of occurrence of compelling reasons or the commission of the infractions,
violations, and offenses.


SECTION 10. Appointment of Non-Uniformed Personnel.

a. The PNP Recruitment and Selection Services (PRS) shall have eighty-eight
(88) Non-Uniformed plantilla positions which shall be created for the
following purposes:

1. The Non-Uniformed Personnel with salary grade twenty-two (22) shall
be the Deputy Chief for Planning Management Division;

2. Salary Grade eighteen (18) be given to Section Chief for Attestation; and

3. Salary Grade fifteen (15), eleven (11), Nine (9), eight (8), six (6), four
(4), and two (2) shall be given to Assistant Section Chief, Admin,
Computer Operators, Proof Readers, Encoders, Messenger, Driver, and
Utility to be distributed to all Division/Units of PRS.

b. The Chief, PNP may appoint Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Chemists, Medical
Technologists, and Admin and Utility personnel in Health Service, Crime
Laboratory, and Training Institutions with salary grade commensurate in
accordance with Index Occupational Standards.

The above plantilla shall be sourced from the existing unfilled Non-Uniformed
Personnel which can be realigned accordingly.

SECTION 11. Funding. — The funding for the recruitment process shall be
specifically provided in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the PNP. The
Initial Clothing Allowance of Php25,000.00 per capita shall also be included therein
subject to the prevailing inflation rate per annum,

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - A\l other provisions of Republic Act No.
6975, as amended by Republic Act No. 8551 and Republic Act No. 9708, and all other
laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act shall be deemed modified or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the
application of such provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the provisions not
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,