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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bills batting for more female police recruits gain traction on Women's Day

Bills batting for more female police recruits gain traction on Women's Day

Published Mar 8, 2023 11:42 pm
On Women's Day, March 8, the House of Representatives made progress on a handful of bills seeking to increase the number of female recruits in the Philippine National Police (PNP). Discussed during a public hearing of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety were House Bill (HB) Nos. 1005, 1779, 5708, and 5740. Before the end of the hearing, commtitee chairman, Santa Rosa lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez created a technical working group (TWG) to harmonize and consolidate the four measures that, if enacted, would institutionalize widened female participation in the PNP. Bulacan 6th district Rep. Salvador Pleyto was installed as the TWG chairman. In his sponsorship speech for HB No.5740, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre lamented how ‘The doors of public service have remained partially open for women as exhibited by the dismal recruitment quota set aside for women seeking to join in the law enforcement service.” “The national police have pegged the quota for women at a maximum of 10 percent on an annual basis,” said the deputy majority leader. The law imposes no limitation, he said. Acidre further said that, unjustly, childbearing duties have been cited to set female recruitment quotas. Under HB No. 5740, the PNP shall allocate a minimum of 20 percent in its annual recruitment, training, and education quota.
PNP Directorate for Personnel Records and Management head Gen. Matthew Baccay, a resource person during the hearing, praised the House for its initiative to increase the annual recruitment of female personnel.
However, Baccay did express his reservations---"for practical reasons"--on a proposed 50 percent female quota allocation indicated in HB No.5708. As it turns out, the national police force isn't far off from a 20 percent female quota. Bacay told the House panel said 17.87 percent or 2,820 out of the 15,777 commissioned officers were female, while 21.51 percent or 49,400 out of the 180,223 non-commissioned personnel were female. “On the average, about 19 percent of the total strength of the PNP are female,” he added.
It would be up to the Pleyto-led TWG to determine the female quota allocation in the PNP that the language of the proposed law would indicate. Philippine Commission on Women Senior Gender and Development (GAD) Specialist Aurora San Juan expressed support for the pending pro-women bills, saying that they would help make law enforcement agencies more inclusive and responsive.
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