428 new Eastern Visayas cops sworn in

A TOTAL of 428 recruits will be added to the more than 8,000 police officers in Eastern Visayas following the recently concluded oath-taking ceremony of the Class 2019-02 "Pinagsarig."

Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, lauded the new batch of patrolmen and patrolwomen "for making it this far after enduring all the challenges to become part of the 195,000 strong elite force of the Philippine National Police."

The recruits passed the "rigorous process" out of the 1,500 applicants who registered online, said Carlos.

They are composed of 337 male and 91 female who will undergo the mandatory public safety basic recruit course for six months at the Regional Training Center in San Jose, Tacloban City.

The training course will be followed by another five months of field training program and one month evaluation at the Regional Special Training Unit, said Lieutenant Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional police spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Carlos urged the next batch of applicants to be ready with the necessary initial documentary requirements while waiting for the opening of another recruitment cycle to be announced by the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.

He also reminded all police personnel to "adhere to high standards of morality and decency and shall set good examples for others to follow."

"Police personnel are prohibited inside casinos, cockpits and other gambling establishments. They are also banned [from] entering places of ill-repute. PNP also forbids its personnel from drinking liquor in public places," he said. (SunStar Philippines)