CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P942-million for the hiring of 3,000 police officers for the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This is in line with the Aquino administration's bid to strengthen the PNP’s law enforcement capabilities.
The fund will support the hiring of police officers last December in response to the requirements of PNP for Personnel Services (PS) from December 2013 to December 2014.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the fund was charged against the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) under the 2014 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
These include each officer’s base pay, allowances, and other benefits.
"This latest fund release will allow the PNP to mobilize more police officers in their respective communities and increase police visibility in the streets, especially in areas with high crime rates. After all, ensuring sustainable peace and order in the country is essential, especially if we want to achieve rapid and sustainable economic growth and inclusive development," Abad said.
The funds enlarge the force of PNP with a total of 149,535-strong police officers- to prevent and control crimes with the help of their communities.
"Reforming the bureaucracy will require substantial investments in manpower support among all agencies and public institutions. For example, we recently gave the go signal to the Department of Education to hire over 31,000 new teachers for the upcoming school year so we can ensure that there are enough teachers for our students," Abad said.
"In much the same way, we made this release to bulk up the number of police officers on the ground if we are to achieve our goals for national peace and order. By hiring new recruits, the PNP can efficiently respond to the increasing demands of maintaining public safety and protecting the well-being of our citizens," he added.