Acting on the report of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) on the mauling incident at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) OIC-Secretary Eduardo Ano said that he has approved the BOI’s recommendation that uniformed officers assigned to the PNPA shall be given preferential option when opportunities for promotion arise within the uniformed sector.
“Serving our country by training the cadets is equally valiant and important as maintaining peace and order, monitoring inmates, or suppressing and preventing fire. We should assign the best and the brightest of our public safety officers to the PNPA and they should be given additional points if they accept the challenge,” Ano said.
He said that he strongly condemns the mauling incident at the country’s prime public safety training institution and has directed PPSC President Retired Gen. Ricardo de Leon and the PNPA Director PCSupt Joseph Adnol to review all “traditions” of the Corps of Cadets and institute the necessary systemic reforms that will put a stop to these practices.
“I am personally visiting the PNPA later this month to hold a dialogue with the Regimental Commander of the Corps of the Cadets, his staff, the class presidents, and the PNPA senior officials including the Commandant of Cadets to ensure that reforms are being implemented to end these practices,” he said.
“I am saddened by this turn of events in the PNPA. I have been assured that this won’t happen again but I intend to find out for myself if reforms are being done and what support we can give to the PNPA to make it a world-class institution,” he added.
Part of the BOI’s recommendation was to seek the intervention of the DILG Secretary for the enactment of a policy where deployment to training units under the PPSC is considered as Table of Organization (TO) position. The TO includes a listing of the number and duties of personnel and major items of equipment authorized for the PPSC and academic institutions under its direct supervision.
Ano said it has come to his attention that uniformed personnel preferred to be assigned to the field rather than train cadets because they were either sidetracked or left behind when it comes to promotion opportunities.
A cum laude graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Ano puts prime importance on properly molding dedicated cadets who will serve the country with honor, integrity, and excellence upon their exit from the portals of PNPA and entry to active service.
“We are in dire need of more role models and mentors who walk the talk to impart their experiences and learnings to the next generation of public safety officers. Our uniformed men and women who accept the challenge to mentor these aspiring cadets should not be left behind in terms of promotion,” he said.
According to the recommendation of the BOI), it was revealed that the PNPA lacked uniformed officers within the academic institution.
BOI Chair Dr. Romeo Magsalos said that there were only four uniformed officers assigned at the PNPA Cadet Affairs Office (CAO) who supervise over 800 cadets. This means that each uniformed officer has to monitor over 200 cadets.
PPSC formed the BOI to investigate the mauling incident and the alleged hazing inside the PNPA which took place during the PNPA graduation on March 26, 2018.
