Marcos has selected next PNP chief – DILG
Credit to Author: Mark Ernest Villeza| Date: Tue, 27 May 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has chosen a successor to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said yesterday.
“He already has someone in mind. We talked about it, but let’s wait for the President to make the announcement,” Remulla told reporters during a briefing at Camp Karingal.
He said the incoming PNP chief is a police general with a solid track record, good leadership and long-term vision.
“The President is the appointing authority, but in this case, we had a conversation. There were inputs and he made the final choice,” Remulla added.
Remulla said the PNP needs leadership with continuity, noting that most police chiefs only serve for about a year, resulting in frequent changes in policy direction.
“We need someone with a consistent and clear vision that can outlast any administration. Right now, every year the PNP’s mission and directive change,” he noted.
To address this, Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will propose a new PNP Reform Law, replacing the “outdated” 1992 law that integrated the PNP and the Integrated National Police.
“When that law was written, there was no social media. The per capita income was under $1,000. Metro Manila’s population was six million. Now it’s more than double. We need a law that reflects today’s realities,” he added. Marbil’s term was extended by Marcos in January by four months. He is expected to retire as PNP chief by June 7.
The DILG is targeting the launch of a centralized 911 emergency response system by July, replacing the existing patchwork of over 30 emergency numbers across different localities.
“Right now, Quezon City uses 122, while Makati, San Juan and others use different numbers. We are centralizing all emergency responses nationwide,” Remulla said.
The new 911 system will integrate police, fire and medical response, with features such as livestreaming, image capture, body-worn cameras and a push-to-call function connecting to regional dispatch units.
To address the long-standing issue of prank and nuisance calls, Remulla said the system has been designed with advanced deterrent features that will drastically limit such disruptions.
“Based on the PNP’s experience, 60 percent of the calls are pranks. Now, we will know from where you are calling, who you are and what your concern is. The implementation of the 911 hotline will be more efficient,” he said.
Remulla clarified that the program’s continuity will not be subject to changes in administration or leadership.
“It’s a continuing investment, so you cannot say that it’s just for a year and in the next year, it will be replaced again. It’s a 10-year investment plan,” he said.
The rollout will begin in the National Capital Region, Regions 1 and 7 and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, with other regions following on a monthly basis.
The DILG expects to complete the nationwide implementation within three months, Remulla said.
Remulla also pushed for the creation of a central criminal database accessible via a mobile app, which would allow police officers to identify suspects in real time using biometric data.
“Right now, we don’t have a centralized photo or data system for criminal records. A person arrested in Palawan could be hiding from charges in Makati, and we wouldn’t know,” he said.
He said this could be addressed by fast-tracking the national ID system and allocating a budget for police technology upgrades.
According to National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, index crimes across Metro Manila dropped by 23.13 percent from November 2024 to May 23, compared to the same period last year.
“That’s 779 fewer incidents. But the public doesn’t feel it yet, largely because of disinformation and the spread of fake crime news online,” Aberin said.
He noted that many viral posts on social media about recent crimes are either outdated or fabricated, including a supposed holdup at a San Juan restaurant that was later debunked.
To boost police visibility, Aberin said NCRPO adjusted deployment hours to as early as 4 a.m. and added 500 more personnel to the current 10,000-strong force patrolling Metro Manila.
He assured the public that red teaming operations are being conducted to ensure police officers remain at their posts.
“If our personnel are not at their designated locations, they will be subjected to investigation and face administrative sanctions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Remulla emphasized that reported decreases in crime must translate to actual public perception of safety.
“All these crime statistics are useless if the public does not feel safer. That’s the only metric that matters,” he said.
He added that under the PNP’s current system, arrest and crime solution rates vary and do not accurately measure police performance based on community needs.
“We need a new evaluation system that aligns with what people truly need: safety and peace of mind,” he said.
Remulla said that priority areas for deployment and monitoring are NCR, Regions 3, 4, 7 and the BARMM due to high crime volumes.
The DILG chief also warned local officials against treating police officers as personal aides, stressing the need for partnership, not political patronage.
“Good governance is good politics. The police are not your private army. They are partners in ensuring peace and order,” he said. Remulla expects the public to start feeling the effects of the enhanced security and emergency programs within three months.
The recent robbery of two Korean nationals at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig should not be blamed on the police force, as BGC is a private enclave with its own security, Marbil said as he pushed back on criticisms that the PNP failed to prevent the crime.
Marbil yesterday took up the cudgels for the police force, which he said is being unfairly blamed for certain crimes that are not within their control.
On May 18, four riders on two motorcycles robbed at gunpoint two Korean nationals along 9th Avenue in BGC.
The incident prompted an advisory from the Korean embassy warning its citizens of a “deteriorating crime situation” in the country.
“You always blame the police about that crime incident in BGC. Remember this is a private area and it is being guarded by security agencies, that’s why there are few police there,” Marbil told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to a police officer wounded in a stabbing incident in Parañaque City.
Marbil said they only have a small police contingent at BGC, which is a complementary force for the security personnel of the area.
“That’s what people don’t understand – why crimes happen there, because that is a private institution,” he said.
Marbil said BGC is just like shopping malls wherein police officers are limited to providing security outside the establishments.
The PNP chief wants to correct the public’s perception that there is no police presence in communities and other public places.
“We have a lot of cops, however they need to be in public places, not in private ones,” he said.
In response to President Marcos’ call for stronger peace and order measures, the PNP has mobilized 21,213 police officers in Metro Manila as part of its recalibrated patrol and deployment plan.
The figure represents about 91.02 percent of the 23,305-strong NCRPO.
Marbil said 13,473 police personnel are assigned to beat patrols while 293 are securing mass rail transits, bus terminals and other transportation hubs.
At least 2,944 police officers were deployed using various vehicles and mobility assets.
To deter criminality and reinforce public safety, 629 PNP personnel are manning checkpoints while 344 are assigned to border control points.
Up to 1,794 police officers are stationed at fixed outposts while the rest provide support for administrative patrol duties.
“The recalibrated deployment plan is our aggressive response to the call of President Marcos to ensure peace, safety and stability in our nation’s capital,” Marbil said in a statement. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Emmanuel Tupas