Just about time to ‘trim’ down the fats off the PNP bureaucracy

BARELY 3-weeks into his job at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla, younger brother of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla, has stirred a hornet’s nest by saying it is about time to “trim” the fat off the Philippine National Police (PNP) by reducing, thru retirement, the excess number of active police generals from 133 to 25.

Clearly, Remulla has a clear idea of what has been ailing our bloated police bureaucracy when he also bared that this was his first recommendation to Pres. Marcos Jr. when he attended his first Cabinet cluster meeting in Malacañan last October 22.

Remulla got the plum DILG post last October 8, after the resignation of Secretary Benhur Abalos who is running for senator next year under the administration ticket. It would also be the first time that two siblings are occupying cabinet positions in any administration.

‘Tongue-in-cheek,’ we should say, the PNP, subordinated under the DILG, “welcomed” their new boss’ proposal, But of course.

For whether most of our police generals are already squirming in their seats by just hearing of the idea is not bad speculation.

We agree with Remulla’s observation that the PNP is one “very top heavy” bureaucracy basing alone on those 2-star police generals cooling their heels assigned in the so-called ‘APCs’ (Area Police Commands), which, originally was named ‘DIPOs’ (Directorate for Integrated Police Operations).

In essence, the APC/DIPO mirrors the area commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Solcom, Nolcom, Eastmincom, Westmincom, Cencom) but with one major difference: whereas the AFP’s area commands have direct operational command of the Army divisions and brigades, naval and air forces units under them, the APC/DIPO, actually, has none over those police units under them.

“There are a lot of (police) generals now without commands. If you look at it, we have APC – Area Police Command – with no people under them,” Remulla correctly pointed out.

Looking back, the creation of a “bloated” PNP bureaucracy started under the Macapagal Arroyo administration—as a “reward” for the many police officials who supported the 2001 coup against President Joseph Estrada, and which installed Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as president for the next 9 years.

With the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) sleeping or derelict in its job for as long as we can remember, we witnessed the appointment of so many police generals with most of them nothing to command and be content to be assigned at the APCs for the sake of their amor propio.

Indeed, the joke is that the APCs are “parking lots” of “excess” PNP generals who have no political “padrinos” to get them plum and lucrative, err, challenging, positions.

The situation thus resulted to the strengthening of corrupt practices within the PNP, highlighted by the buying, err, solicitation of “favors” and pledge of “loyalty” to those close to the powers-be or are in hierarchical positions to “insert” names in the list of police generals to be given an active position in the PNP.

Of course, the reduced number of 25 police generals eyed by Remulla may prove debatable as many of the top PNP positions stipulated under RA 6975 called for a “Chief Superintendent” (1-star general) to supervise them.

Regardless, Mr. President, Remulla’s proposal is one brilliant idea that deserves serious support.

Now, let us watch how the vested interests in the PNP work their way towards its being smothered as a “stillbirth.”