PNP assumes control of PNPA, hopes to turn out better officers

September 30, 2019

The Philippine National Police ( PNP) hopes that the Philippine National Police Academy ( PNPA) will produce better officers after control of the latter was transferred to Camp Crame.

In a ceremony held in Cavite on Monday, the PNP officially assumed  jurisdiction of the country’s training institution for police commissioned officers.

“Hopefully we will be able to improve the quality of the officer that we will be producing from the PNPA… and hopefully we also address the dysfunctions here including alleged maltreatment and hazing and different traditions that should not be done by PNPA cadet corps,” said Police General Oscar Albayalde, the PNP chief.

The PNP chief said they begun instituting changes in the academy such as privileges and services of demerits even before the turnover.

Albayalde said almost 90 percent of PNPA graduates went to the PNP.

He added that a reason for the transfer of the academy to the PNP is to prevent the “finger pointing” when something happens.

“We pushed on transferring PNPA (to)... the control and supervision of the PNP so that there will be no more finger pointing or pointing of responsibilities,” Albayalde said.

“Everytime something happens, the PNP will say it is not under our supervision. That is under Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC). Then the PPSC will say the staff here and the commandants, even the superintendents are all coming from the PNP. And they are still in the active service,” he said.

“Whatever happens here inside the academy, it will be the sole responsibility of the PNP,” he added.

On the issue of hazing, Albayalde said they will be firm in disciplining cadets to let them know they can be held criminally liable.

“They know we are implementing the laws of the land. They know they will be charged not only criminally but administratively. They know that and we will make them fully aware of that,” he said.

PNP said the transfer will give them full administrative and operational supervision and control over the PNPA “to effectively address current dysfunctions and reforms and innovations in the police training programs”.

The transfer is among the provisions of Republic Act No. 11279 enacted last April 12, 2019 that aims to achieve goals of a highly efficient and competent police force.

On October 7, the PNP is set to take over the National Police Training Institute in Calamba which undertakes basic training for police recruits and other in-service mandatory training courses. Ella Dionisio/DMS