SUMMARY
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In a move aimed to finally stamp out the ugly “palakasan” (backer) system in the hiring new cops, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Thursday, May 20, that it would implement a QR (quick response) code system for hiring applicants who want to enter the police force.
PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement that the implementation of QR codes would guarantee anonymity of the applicants and would frustrate the “palakasan” system.
In this backer system, applicants who have connections with active police officers are favored or get the easy route to enter the police force.
In this new system, only QR codes and not their names would identify applicants.
“Ibig sabihin, tanging qualifications at credentials lamang ang gagamiting basehan ng mga mag-eevaluate sa kanila. Magkakaalaman na lang talaga ng mga pangalan sa pinaka-final stage, kapag pasado nang police recruit ang aplikante,” Eleazar said.
(It means that only qualifications and credentials would be the basis to evaluate them. The names will only be revealed in the final stage after the applicant passed the application.)
Eleazar added that the new system would ensure that the PNP would hire the best and the most qualified for the job without favoring anyone.
The QR code system is a type of barcode that has machine-readable labels that provide information when scanned by machine or digital devices.
The implementation of the QR code system was first introduced by Eleazar during his term as the director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). Then on his inaugural speech as the new PNP chief on May 7, Eleazar said he would also implement it nationwide as part of his main thrust to internally cleanse the police ranks.
The new PNP chief reiterated the implementation of the QR code system after the National Police Commission (Napolcom) approved the recruitment of 17,314 new police officers in the country.
Eleazar added that the new hires would replenish the police’s losses in terms of its retirees and would help improve the police-to-population ratio for the maintenance of peace and order.
With the country’s estimated population of 108,000,000 and the police’s estimated population of 220,000, the current police-to-population ratio is one cop for every 490.91 people. By adding the estimated 17,000 applicants, the ratio would improve to one cop for every 455.7 people.
This is an improvement based on the recommended police-to-population ratio of one cop for every 500 people under Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990. – Rappler.com
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story computed the police-to-population ratio based on a police deployed for every 100,000 people. This has been recomputed based on the standard of police deployed per 500 people.
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