CAMP OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union -- Eighty-four policemen assigned with the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Ilocos Region finally obtained their baccalaureate degree, thus are free from the threat of attrition from the police service.
Finishing their college course -- Bachelor of Science in Criminology -- was made possible through the "Balik Eskuwela" program launched on June 16, 2007 by Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, former director of PRO-Ilocos Region.
Bataoil now heads the Police Community Relations Group Directorate at Camp Crame.
At the same time, Bataoil and representatives of the University of La Salette (based in Isabela Province) signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) concerning the program.
The graduation ceremony for the 84 policemen will be held at PRO-Ilocos Region headquarters on May 14. Bataoil will be the guest-of-honor and speaker.
"They will be conferred BS Criminology by University of La Salette and thereupon, they will be proud policemen and women who can qualify for future promotion," he said.
PRO-Ilocos Region's Balik Eskuwela is in accordance with the Commission on Higher Education's (Ched) expanded tertiary program, he added.
University of La Salette is located in Isabela Province. According to Senior Superintendent Samuel Labadia, chief of the Police Regional Community Relations Division, classes were held on weekends at the regional headquarters.
The program gives college undergraduate policemen in the region the opportunity to finish their college courses.
Bataoil said he instituted the program as he was concerned with the future of his men who might be removed from the service if unable to finish college.
To ensure that the program will be successful, Bataoil allotted a certain amount to subsidize the tuition of the policemen-students.
The policemen, said Labadia, shouldered part of their tuition and their miscellaneous expenses.
According to Bataoil, instituting higher education for the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel is the beginning of the transformation program as mandated in Executive Order (EO) 330.
Under the attrition clause of the PNP Reorganization and Modernization Law, otherwise known as Republic Act (RA) 8551 passed in 1998, undergraduate policemen will either be separated/attrited (if they are below 50 years old) or retired (if above 50 years old) from the service.
Attrition year was originally scheduled in 2003, but the date was rescheduled several times in consideration for the policemen that will be affected. It is still unsure if this (attrition) will finally be implemented next year. (LCMY/Sunnex)
