Drilon bats for increased police visibility to deter crimes

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today underscored the need to increase police visibility in order to deter crimes and respond to crises rapidly, urging the Philippine National Police to commit to the 1:500 policemen-to-population ratio which is mandated by law.

"Police visibility is critical to reducing crime volume especially in critical and risky areas. But the current personnel build up of the PNP is quite far from what is ideal and sufficient in order for the PNP to effectively fight criminality and maintain peace and order throughout the country," said Drilon.

During the Committee on Finance's hearing on the P71.9 billion budget of the PNP, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP Director General Allan Purisima told Drilon that 195,000 policemen on a 24-hour duty are needed in order to meet the 1:500 police-to-population ratio, 49,499 less than the current number of PNP personnel which is 145,501.

It was also revealed that the average police-to-population ratio is 1:645, but the current ratio is quite higher in some places particularly in the Metro Manila where police-to-population ratio stands at 1:1,000.

For instance, the areas covered by the Western Police District have a ratio of 1:1,159; while in the Eastern Police District, police visibility stood at 1:953; and in the Southern Police District, the ratio is 1:1,217.

Drilon called the attention of Roxas and Purisima on the uneven distribution of the police force to the various cities in Metro Manila.

He asked the PNP to look into its manpower requirement and gradually address the hiring backlog that has been hounding the PNP over the years.

Under the Republic Act 6975, noted Drilon, the average manning levels of the PNP shall be approximately in accordance with a police-to-population ratio of one policeman for every five hundred persons.

"The 2014 budget being requested by the PNP should result in the improvement and development in the capabilities of our policemen in fighting the criminals and in responding to crises," said Drilon.

"On a yearly basis, we allocate substantial amounts for the hiring of new uniformed personnel in the PNP because we are conscious of the need to augment our police force, but apparently, the response of the field is not that adequate," said Drilon. "We provide the funds, but you don't hire."

Drilon asked the PNP to exercise efforts to increase its capability to hire and recruit new uniformed personnel to enhance police visibility in public places and major installations.

In the next year's proposed budget, P4.7 billion is allotted to the PNP for the hiring of additional 13,000 policemen.