PNP TAKES CONTROL OF TRAINING COPS. Philippine Public Safety College president Ricardo de Leon hands over the symbolic flag and the roster of trainees of the National Police Training Institute and its 18 Regional Training Centers across the country to PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde at the formal turn-over ceremony in Camp Gen. Vicente Lim, Calamba City on Oct. 7, 2019. Albayalde said it was "high time" that the PNP took full responsibility for training policemen "to address current dysfunctions". (Photo by Saul E. Pa-a)
CAMP GEN. VICENTE LIM, Calamba City -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) now has the sole authority and control over the Police National Training Institute (PNTI) and 18 other regional training centers for cops following the formal turn-over rites on Monday here.
PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, led the ceremonial turnover during his visit to the training institute, housed at the Calabarzon police regional command camp, which used to be under the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC).
Albayalde said it was "high time" that the PNP took full responsibility for training policemen "to address current dysfunctions".
He said the transfer would pave the way for and ensure that reforms and innovations in the police training program “are followed to the letter”.
“With the NPTI now under the PNP, candidate patrolmen and women and active duty personnel undergoing mandatory in-service training will be able to learn skills, knowledge from a competent corps of instructors and professors coming from the ranks of active and retired PNP personnel,” he said.
Police Maj. Gen. Ramon Rafael, NPTI Director, said the institution has become the "catalyst for change" in the PNP’s campaign on its rejuvenated internal cleansing program and as frontliner and training ground for police non-commissioned officers.
“Today marks another milestone in the history of the NPTI for the official transfer to the PNP from the PPSC. This (transfer) now takes on the challenge of bigger responsibilities to the police organization and the community,” Rafael said.
He said the institution is looking forward to keeping in step with the marching orders to train and mold police officers to become morally upright, disciplined, fit and competent.
“NPTI now aims to be the center of development for the new generation policing,” he said.
Dr. Ricardo de Leon, president of the PPSC, said it is about time to transfer the NPTI to the PNP, citing the need to integrate the aspects in policing.
“We do not welcome 'kotong' (extortionist) cops in our midst,” de Leon said, as he cited various reform programs that the NPTI had undertaken, including PNP’s upgrade and capacity-building programs including a salary increase for the cops.
Republic Act 11279 signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on April 12, 2019, paved the transfer of sole authority and jurisdiction of both the PNP Academy and the NPTI to the PNP, amending some provisions of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Act of 1990.
Under the new setup, the PPSC still retains under its auspices the National Fire Training Institute, National Police College, National Forensic Science Training Institute, National Jail Management, and Penology Training Institute and other special training centers as may be created by the DILG. (PNA)
