By Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan, Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT will nearly close the gap in the adequate number of police forces in the Philippines, as it raised the number of positions for 2019, coupled with higher salaries as approved by the President earlier this year.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said in a statement on Wednesday that it has budgeted about 10,000 Police Officer 1 positions for next year, putting the police-to-population ratio to 1:505, close to the ideal 1:500 ratio.
The current ratio is one police officer per 600 individuals.
“The government eyes more recruits in the police force to ramp up efforts at addressing criminality in the country.” DBM Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno was quoted as saying.
The proposed additional positions will be covered by the new salary scheme for Military and Uniformed Personnel pursuant to Congress Joint Resolution No. 1, s. 2018, issued in January.
The total budget for uniformed personnel amounts to P3 billion for 2019, which represents almost 2% of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) P172.62-billion budget.
DBM has also provided funds for 3,000 new officers in the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) worth P803 million, and 2,000 more officers in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) worth P576 million.
The Department also said it took into account the “increasing number of inmates as a result of the intensive campaign against criminality.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR