Module 2 – The Philippine Policing Evolution
THE PHILIPPINE POLICING SYSTEM
The Philippine National Police (PNP) originated from the Philippine Constabulary or the PC, which was inaugurated on August 8, 1901, establishing it as an insular police force under the American regime. On August 8, 1975, Presidential Decree no. 765 was issued, establishing the Philippine Constabulary Integrated National Police or the PC/INP as the country’s national police force. These fragmented and diverse local police units were integrated into a national police force with the Philippine Constabulary as its nucleus.
After the People’s Revolution in 1986, a new Constitution was promulgated providing for a police force, which is “national in scope and civilian in character.” Consequently, Republic Act No. 6975 entitled, “An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police under a Reorganized Department of the Interior and Local government (DILG),” was signed into law on December 13, 1990, which took effect on January 1, 1991. Subsequently, the PNP was operational on January 29, 1991, whose members were formerly the PC and the INP and the absorption of the selected members from the major service units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines such as the Philippine Air Force Security Command, the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Army.
But as a future criminologist, are those information enough for us to look at the root cause of what we are reaping today so long as the policing system is concerned?
Are you happy with your police or law enforcer so far? if yes, well and good! But if not, what will you do? Will you be a solution or another problem to it!
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND VERY WELL what are the roots of our interests and in doing so, let us start with it here!
Presenting to you the evolution of the Philippine Policing system:
The above slide is telling us that what discovered by Spaniards when they landed in the Philippines is a community, not a forest as what they wrote in their Historical Narrative about the Philippines. That the country is already having its own laws and policing system as manifested by what they observed.
The only difference is that it is not a nation but a group of TRIBAL COMMUNITY with known rulers but established good camaraderie and cooperation. Tribal war is an occurrence but still, the Datu, Rajah, and Sultanate ensure peace rather than war and disorder.
The Revised Administrative Code fills the gap that the Philippine Constabulary cannot fill. This is because the Philippine Constabulary cannot avail themselves to serve the whole country. Besides they are organized according to Zone and the Philippines is divided into four (4) PC Zones only (two in Luzon, one in the Visayas, and one in Mindanao).
It paves way for the Governor to allow the mayor to organize their own police units in their own municipalities or cities because Constabulary cannot avail themselves at that time on a nationwide basis.
And what they organized are volunteer police only, they are not paid in other words. Policing at that time is voluntary in nature.
The professional level RA 4864 want is to capacitate the police in police work and in fact this law requires now that those who want to become a police must be at least high school graduate and that civil service eligibility are required.
What you had just read is the POST-MARTIAL LAW event that historically creates a new face and concept of policing in the Philippines.
If you want to read more about policing in the American and Japanese Era you can download this link for your reading:
Click, follow the link, and read: