Bill raising compulsory retirement age of PNP personnel from 56 to 57 gets final House nod
At A Glance
- House approves via 233-0-1 vote HB No. 8702, which raises the compulsory retirement age for PNP personnel from 56 to 57.
- Antipolo Rep. Philip Conrad Acop had described the revision sought by the bill as modest but impactful.
- Rep. Acop says the retention of experienced officers who remain fit and effective promotes institutional stability and preserves leadership maturity within the police force.
PNP (Facebook)
The House measure seeking to increase the compulsory retirement age for uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 56 years old to 57 years old has been overwhelmingly approved on third and final reading.
Gaining a nominal vote result of 233-0-1 (yes-no-abstain) during plenary session Tuesday, May 26 at the House of Representatives was House Bill (HB) No. 8702.
The measure sought to amend Section 39 of Republic Act (RA) No. 6975, also known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, as amended.
The PNP is a civilian force that's under the control of the DILG.
Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, sponsored HB No. 8702 in plenary last May 20, the same day it was passed on second reading.
HB No. 8702 was a pet measure of the late Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop, who served as PNP brigadier general before he transitioned to politics and served as a congressman.
His son and successor to his House seat, Rep. Philip Conrad Acop, was among those who manisfested support for HB No. 8702.
Rep. Acop said the proposed adjustment in compulsory retirement age was "modest, measured, and reasonable". "Yet despite its modesty, its impact would be meaningful and far-reaching," he noted.
The neophyte congressman said that many officers who reach the age of 56 "remain physically fit, mentally sharp, and professionally effective".
"Indeed, it is often at this stage in their careers that they possess the greatest institutional knowledge, operational wisdom, and leadership maturity. Allowing them to continue serving for an additional year enables the [PNP] to retain invaluable experience and expertise that would otherwise be lost prematurely," he added.
Rep. Acop further said that the measure "promotes institutional stability" within the national police force.