The Philippine National Police basically maintains peace and order in the Philippines by serving and protecting Filipinos. Originally, it was from the merging of the Integrated National Police and the Philippine Constabulary. As the country’s primary law enforcement agency, the PNP is mainly responsible for ensuring public safety as well as controlling and preventing crimes.
It is indeed one of the greatest honors to join the PNP for those looking to have a fulfilling career that enables them to help achieve a better and safer society. There are some important things to consider before applying as a police officer such as the qualifications, requirements, and application process. The selection of new recruits is done through the PNP Recruitment and Selection Service or PNP RSS.
What Is PNP?
The Philippine National Police or PNP is a government agency that enforces law in the Philippines. It is tasked to maintain peace and order while handling criminal investigations to ensure public safety. The PNP originated from the Philippine Constabulary, which was established as an insular police force during the American regime.
The Presidential Decree No. 765 issued in 1975, established the Philippine Constabulary Integrated National Police as the national police force of the country. In 1986 after the revolution, another Constitution was promulgated to create a national police force that was civilian in character. In 1991, PNP became operational after signing RA 6975 into law.
When it comes to organizational structure, the PNP is administered by the National Police Commission. For program and policy coordination, NAPOLCOM works with the Department of the Interior and Local Government to coordinate with its rules and regulations. The Ex-Officio Chairman of NAPOLCOM is the Secretary of DILG.
Powers and Functions of the PNP
The PNP follows a structure to help the agency accomplish its mission as well as its powers and functions. For instance, the PNP Command Group is the one who commands and directs the PNP with two Deputies to manage the operations and administration side. The main job of the Chief of the Directorial Staff is coordinating, supervising, and directing the PNP units and the Directorial Staff with their functions.
Moreover, the Internal Affairs Service supervised by the Inspector General ensures operational readiness while investigating some of the policies committed by PNP members. The Human Rights Affairs Office. With its senior police commissioned officer, supervises and implements policies and guidelines regarding human rights.
The Center for Police Strategy Management, on the other hand, coordinates and integrates all processes, sustains execution, and instills strategy-focused organization and management. The Directorial Staff consists of 16 directorates with defined functions each that are aligned with their specializations.
Here are the functions of the PNP:
- Maintain peace and order
- Law enforcement.
- Prevent crime and investigate incidents by bringing offenders to justice.
- Exercise the powers vested from pertinent laws including the Philippine Constitution.
- Detain arrested individuals for a certain period based on the law.
- Implement rules and regulations regarding explosives and firearms control.
- Control and supervise the operations and training of all security agencies in the Philippines.
Requirements When Applying as a PNP Officer
There is a primary unit that is tasked to screen new recruits for the PNP called the Philippine National Police Recruitment and Selection Service or the PNP RSS. It manages the selection and recruitment process of patrol officers, line and technical officers, and others. If you’re interested in becoming a PNP officer, it’s important to consider the qualifications before securing the requirements.
The PNP qualifications are as follows:
- Must be a Filipino citizen
- With good moral character
- Complete and pass the psychological, physical, and drug tests conducted by the PNP
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from any recognized learning institution
- Eligibility such as PNP Entrance or NAPOLCOM passer, Civil Service Eligibility, Criminologist, and Bar and Board Examinations passer
- No dishonorable dismissal from a civilian position or military employment
- Not convicted for any crime or offense that involves moral turpitude
- With a minimum height of 5’2 or 1.57 meters for men, 5’0 or 1.52 meters for women
- Weight must be proportionate with height, sex, and age
- 21-30 years old
For the requirements, make sure to prepare the following documents in PDF format:
- Duly accomplished PNP Personal Data Sheet and notarized CSC
- Birth Certificate issued by PSA
- Certificate of Declared Beneficiary
- Computerized Affidavit of Confirmation
- Advisory on Marriage of PNP Personnel
- Advisory of Marriage of spouse
- Marriage Contract
- Birth Certificate
- Certificate of Non-Marriage
- Valid ID with 3 specimen signatures
- Affidavit of Undertaking Regarding Incontestability of Declared Birth Date
- College Diploma, Official Transcript of Records, GWA of TOR, or Good Moral Character
- Eligibility such as CSC, PD, PRC, or NAPOLCOM with a report of rating and authenticated PRC license
- Authenticated copies of clearance including National Police Clearance, NBI, Barangay clearance, or Mayor ADHOC Committee Recommendation
- Original copy of Service Record for previous government service
- One colored whole-body photo in JPEG format, one bust-size, and two 2×2 colored with name tag photo
- Tax Identification Number
- Photocopy of valid ID
- If required, a height waiver
Some important requirements that will be inserted by RPRMD include Appointment Order and Oath of Office, PPE Result, Agility Test, Drug Test Result, and Fingerprint and Handwritten Specimen
How to Apply to PNP
To apply as a PNP officer in the Philippines, here’s an idea of the process of application:
Step 1: Online registration. Go to this link http://app.cores.prs.pnp.gov.ph/ and provide the required details. Upload all the requirements including educational records, valid ID, birth certificate, eligibility, and other required documents. PNP CORES is the online application system that stands for Comprehensive Online Recruitment Encrypting System.
Vacancies through regular recruitment or attrition quota will be announced through the PNP RSS official Facebook page. Once you have filed your online application, the PNP will send a notification for the next step.
Step 2: Preliminary screening or interview. Each applicant will go through a different screening process. The assessment and evaluation will be done according to a point system with criteria such as eligibility, education, physical agility test, final interview, and others.
Step 3: Physical agility test. Applicants must pass PAT which includes sit-ups, push-ups, and a 3km run. The total score is 100 points, while the passing score is 75 points.
Step 4: Psychological and neuro-psychiatric test. This is to check if applicants have any mental disorders using neuro-psychiatric or psychological tests that the PNP will administer.
Step 5: Character and background investigation. The PNP conducts a thorough investigation of the character and reputation of the applicant during this stage. A background check is done to determine whether there are criminal or questionable activities involving the applicant.
Step 6: Physical examination. This determines if the applicant is healthy or not, and doesn’t have contagious diseases through medical and physical examination. It is exclusively conducted by a PNP medical officer or municipal or cityhealth officer.
Step 7: Final interview. If the applicant is in good health, the next step is the preliminary interview. In this stage, qualified applicants are interviewed by the Screening Committee. To see if they are fit for the job, some crucial factors are considered including conversational ability, forcefulness, outside interest, attitude towards work, affability, likeableness, and even disagreeable mannerisms.
Step 8: Oath-taking. Successful PNP applicants will take an oath of office once they have completed all the requirements and meet the qualifications for the job.
Step 9: Probationary. The probation period takes at least 12 months for new officers. To achieve permanent status, they need to undergo a Field Training Program and the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course.
There are so many reasons to join the PNP. For instance, this rewarding career offers career progression opportunities and a competitive salary. Other benefits include medical coverage, housing, retirement plans, allowances, and a stable source of income. Depending on your rank, you can earn more while being able to serve and protect the general public.
Video: PNP Recruitment 2023 Update
In this video, you will learn about the updated recruitment process of the Philippine National Police for new members. It contains all the steps on how to process applications online, the requirements to be submitted, and the qualifications to be met. Watch until the end to understand how to increase your chances of getting hired and working as a PNP officer.
Summary
Now that you know how to join the Philippine National Police, it’s easier to prepare for the requirements and tests. Make sure to check the qualifications to see if you fit the job and the organizational structure of the PNP to understand how you can help maintain peace and order all over the Philippines. More importantly, serve with pride and compassion so that you can achieve success in the long run as a PNP officer.