The Philippine National Police (PNP) will subject all its investigators into retraining in a bid to improve its crime solution efficiency.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said a total of 4,326 police investigators have already graduated from recapitulation program for case handling last year.
Currently, he said the retraining of some 16,000 investigators and evidence custodians is underway.
"We recognize the challenges in the investigation of criminal cases but we will continue seeking ways to enhance the competency of police personnel in probing crimes and safeguarding evidence," said Azurin.
“This retraining program is a reinforcement to better capacitate our personnel and to boost their morale despite the extensive requirements in filing cases in the judiciary,” he added.
Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla and Interior Sec. Benhur Abalos have been meeting to improve both the investigative and operational capabilities of the PNP.
In a press briefing in July, Remulla disclosed that the conviction rate of criminal cases in the country is below 25 percent and that already include successful plea bargaining agreements.
“This means we are not really getting a passing rate. this is not a standard that we can live with. We have to change this drastically. So we are really looking at how we can improve the justice system so that we can minimize criminality,” said Remulla.