THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is allowing its personnel to request for deployment near their homes to promote their welfare and boost their morale.
PNP Chief Camilo Cascolan said a police office may request for transfer to an assignment near his home as long as another officer will replace him in his previous post.
“Actually wala naman mawawala kasi papalitan din sila. Ibig sabihin 1 is to 1. They will be prioritized accordingly. Localization means going near or at your areas of residence and this will boost their morale because this is one way of telling our people that we expect the best performance from you. This is also one way of telling them that we will take care of you most especially with your transfer,” Cascolan said in a press briefing.
Cascolan said the localization program is mandated under the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, which provides that PNP members with the ranks of patrolman/woman up to executive master sergeant will be “assigned to the city and municipality of their recruitment and/or place of residence or if not possible, to the closest municipality, province or regions to his residence.”
“Assignment to one’s hometown, province or region gives a police officer the sense of ownership of the locality that he represents,” said Cascolan.
“The said program will attain maximum efficiency and more effective law enforcement by prioritizing the welfare of every PNP personnel and reinforcing family solidarity,” he added.
As of Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the PNP-Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) said a total of 8,561 police personnel have signified intention to be reassigned to their places of residence, but only 7,410 of them were qualified for the program.
Among the reassignment requests, 4,742 personnel have signified to transfer to National Capital Region, 841 wanted to be reassigned to Calabarzon, 475 personnel to Central Luzon, and 475 wanted to go back to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindano.
The DPRM is now processing the requests of these policemen. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)