By Martin Sadongdong
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has officially started implementing its modified rank classification more than a month after the signing of Republic Act (RA) 11200 on February 8.
Philippine National Police (MANILA BULLETIN)
A memorandum order pertaining to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the RA 11200 was issued by Police Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, the Chief Directorial Staff (PNP-TCDS), dated March 25. It was made available to the media on Tuesday.
The memo indicated the new nomenclature for all PNP personnel and their abbreviations which shall be used in all manner of communications.
The memo also provided the correct format when writing the new rank or name nomenclature for police commissioned officers (PCOs) and police non-commissioned officers (PNCOs).
According to the memo, the new ranks shall be:
-Director General to Police General (PGEN)
-Deputy Director General to Police Lieutenant General (PLTGEN)
-Director to Police Major General (PMGEN)
-Chief Superintendent to Police Brigadier General (PBGEN)
-Senior Superintendent to Police Colonel (PCOL)
-Superintendent to Police Lieutenant Colonel (PLTCOL)
-Chief Inspector to Police Major (PMAJ)
-Senior Inspector to Police Captain (PCPT)
-Inspector to Police Lieutenant (PLT)
-Senior Police Officer 4 to Police Executive Master Sergeant (PEMS)
-Senior Police Officer 3 to Police Chief Master Sergeant (PCMS)
-Senior Police Officer 2 to Police Senior Master Sergeant (PSMS)
-Senior Police Officer 1 to Police Master Sergeant (PMSg)
-Police Officer 3 to Police Staff Sergeant (PSSg)
-Police Officer 2 to Police Corporal (PCpl)
-Police Officer 1 to Patrolman/Patrolwoman (Pat)
RA 11200 amended Section 28 of RA No. 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 which established the PNP.
It seeks to modify the rank classification in the PNP and standardize how cops are addressed.
It also clarifies the command and responsibility in the organization for effective supervision and control among the uniformed personnel.
The new rank classification was initially implemented by the PNP on February 27 after the issuance of a memorandum order by Police Major General Lyndon Cubos, director of PNP-Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).
However, the implementation was halted on March 8 after Cascolan gave a directive which said an IRR of the RA 11200 must first be crafted to avoid confusions on the use of new ranks in the future.