PNP sends 2,222 personnel back to their provinces

October 14, 2020

The Philippine National Police (PNP) sent 2, 222 personnel back to their hometowns during a ceremonial send-off on Wednesday.

PNP chief General Camilo Cascolan said this program will attain maximum efficiency and more effective law enforcement by prioritizing the welfare of every police personnel and reinforcing family solidarity.

All police regional offices also conducted their own send-off ceremonies to  reassigned personnel.

"This mass movement of personnel initially covers inter-regional reassignment of personnel to their hometowns and places of permanent residence to give them a strong sense of ownership of their own locality and, in the process, induce better performance,” Cascolan said.

Cascolan said this is a continuing nationwide program.

He added what the PNP did is not new.

“It’s in the Civil Service Law. They should be serving in their areas of residence,” Cascolan said.

Cascolan also said policemen who have cases in their hometowns must finish their cases.

“You will not just be transferred. You have to finish your case. If you will be dismissed, we cannot do anything about it and these are the things we need for localization… That’s part of our requirement,” he said.

“We also have what you call of course the discretion of the commander. If (the commander) thinks the personnel should not be transferred because he needs that person then we will not transfer them,” he added.

Cascolan also encouraged the public to report policemen who do illegal activities in their new assignment.

“Tell me. If you have those (policemen who do illegal activities), give it to me. We will reassign them to other areas because if you assigned yourself in other areas more than your areas of residence, there is a tendency for you to abuse because you don’t know anyone there,” Cascolan said.

With the 2022 elections coming, he said the PNP- Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) will check on policemen.

“ We have our IMEG that's why we will be delineating responsibilities with regards to anti-criminality, insurgency and anti-terrorism… We have this localization at the same time we delineate the responsibilities. The IMEG is in full force at the same time all law enforcement agencies together with your local government agencies,” he said.

“I believe there is nothing wrong if we follow the rule of law and we always follow our SOPs and procedures,” he added.

Cascolan assured that reassigned PNP personnel will strictly follow health standards and protocols in all phases of the program to ensure that workplace measures, rules, and regulations are complied with to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Ella Dionisio/DMS