NCRPO chief backs proposed bill to return military-style ranks for PNP

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Oscar Albayalde has expressed support for the proposed bill in the House of Representatives seeking to modify the ranks of uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) through adopting its military equivalent.

Albayalde said that the current rank classification of PNP officials create confusion among the public as they are accustomed to the use of military terminologies.

"Well, actually matagal na naming talagang ni-recommend at we were really asking the Congress na napakatagal na to put back yung old ranks namin dahil unang una hanggang ngayon, marami pa rin ang hindi makaintindi doon sa ranggo," he said.

"Hindi nila alam kung ano yung superintendent, hindi nila alam kung ano yung inspector, kung minsan inspector napagkakamalan pa na inspector ng bus, yung superintendent ang akala nila superintendent ng school lang. Either yung foreign counterparts namin...they use military ranks, mas mabilis kasi," he added.

The NCRPO chief said President Rodrigo Duterte has also supported their proposal since it would be easier for the public.

"It's better and easier probably for everybody para maibalik na. Matagal na namin actually...pinropose and we want to thank the President for supporting yung proposal namin 'yon," he said.

The House of Representatives on March 25 approved on second reading House Bill 5236, which seeks to rename the rank classification of PNP unformed personnel by adopting the rank classification used in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Under House Bill 5236, police officials and officers from the rank of Director General down to Police Officer 1 will be modified to its military equivalent but with "police" affixed to their rank.

The bill provides for the amendment of Section 28 of Republic Act No. 6975, or the "Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990," for purposes of "clarity of command and responsibility, and for the effective and efficient administration, supervision and control."

Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop, principal author of the bill, said that the bill will "address public confusion on the present rank of PNP officers with the use of such terms as 'superintendent' and 'inspector' which were borrowed primarily from Western and European jurisdictions.

"Despite the usage of such terms for the last 20 years, the public seems to have been more accustomed to the use of rank classification using military terminologies such as ‘general’, ‘colonel’, or ‘sergeant’ as previously used in the police force," added Acop, a former police general. — RSJ, GMA News