President Duterte has signed into law the bill which modifies the rank classification in the Philippine National Police and standardizing how law enforcers are addressed.
The consolidated version of Senate Bill 2031 and House Bill 5236 was transmitted to Malacañang for the President’s signature on Jan. 10. It amended Section 28 of Republic Act No. 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990.
Under the new law, the PNP rank classification will be:
– Director-General to Police General
– Deputy Director General to Police Lieutenant General
– Director to Police Major General
– Chief Superintendent to Police Brigadier General
– Senior Superintendent to Police Colonel
– Superintendent to Police Lieutenant Colonel
– Chief Inspector to Police Major
– Senior Inspector to Police Captain
– Inspector to Police Lieutenant
– SPO4 to Police Executive Master Sergeant
– SPO3 to Police Chief Master Sergeant
– SPO2 to Police Senior Master Sergeant
– SPO1 to Police Master Sergeant
– PO3 to Police Staff Sergeant
– PO2 to Police Corporal
– PO1 to Patrolman or Patrolwoman
Thirty days after the law takes effect, the PNP chief will issue the implementing rules and regulations.
Sen. Ping Lacson, author of Senate Bill 2031, earlier said that the measure seeks a more common rank nomenclature to standardize how law enforcers are called.
“This measure is geared toward our collective pursuit of eliminating confusion on how our law enforcers must be addressed and, ultimately bringing our policemen closer to the populace,” Lacson said. “In order to maintain its clear distinction from the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the ranks to be used in addressing the PNP personnel shall be preceded by the word ‘Police,'” he added.
Duterte had expressed confusion about the current ranking classifications of the police, adding that he had asked then PNP chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa to do something about it. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
