“Lahat ng kwalipikado ngayon ipapasok ‘yung pangalan nila sa isang tambyolo, at pagpili ay pantay-pantay para sa lahat, hindi na kailangan ng padrino o ng kakilala, hindi na kailangan ng insider na tutulong,” Roxas told reporters in an interview during the launch of the European Union-Philippine Government Justice Support Program in Camp Crame.
Roxas, acknowledging the limited entry level slots for policemen, said the new system will discourage potential applicants from looking for powerful backers within the Philippine National Police (PNP), which in turn would break the cycle of corruption within the police force.
“Sa ganung paraan ay makakapagsimula ang ating PO1s sa kanilang career na hindi sila gumawa ng panunuhol sa pagiging pulis,” he said.
Concrete step
No date yet on when the PNP will implement the new system, as its implementing rules have yet to be finalized by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
“Isa ito sa utos sa Napolcom, na i-finalize na ‘yung implementing rules nito at sa darating na mga linggo ay implement na ito,” Roxas said.
Roxas described the new system as a “concrete step” toward eliminating corruption in the PNP.
Roxas’ statement came at the heels of a latest survey by Berlin-based Transparency International showing 69 percent of Filipinos feel that the PNP is still corrupt.
The survey, which was conducted on 1,000 Filipinos, also showed that 35 percent of the respondents saw a “little” decrease in corruption in the country for the past two years.
The same survey identified the PNP as the government agency perceived to be most corrupt. Sixty four percent of those surveyed also said they think public officials are affected by corruption.
Outsourcing
For his part, PNP Public Information Office chief Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore C. Sindac goes a step further to outline the possibility of outsourcing recruitment of policemen, and eliminating the presence of men in uniform at desk jobs.
“We have long-term plans to outsource the recruitment process of the PNP to eliminate the perennial stereotype of corrupt practices in the hiring of recruits and introduce innovations in the selection process,” he said in a statement.
“Our immediate plan to hire at least 15,000 non-uniformed personnel to perform administrative and clerical functions is expected to negate public perceptions of corruption by policemen manning these frontline service positions that are prone to commit irregularities,” Sindac added, noting that policemen in desk jobs have the highest exposure to the public.
Sindac also said the police force’s visibility and proximity in relation to dealing with corruption could be a reason for the public’s negative perception.
“As a frontline service agency that is the most visible symbol of government presence in the community, the proximity of the police to the environment that breeds corruption is understandably a strong factor that developed this public opinion on corruption,” he said.
Right path
Meanwhile, at a press conference following the EPJUST launch, European Union Ambassador Guy Ledoux said he wasn’t too pessimistic with TI’s survey findings.
“I haven’t had the time to read the whole report, but I didn’t read it the way [it was written about in the papers],” he said.
“The survey was covering many countries. Also there is an undoubtedly some level of corruption anywhere. But what [ news reports] failed to mention is that the survey also interviewed people on whether whether they feel it has decreased,” he said. — KBK, GMA News
