Res Gestae
Hoping
As long as there is recruitment of new police officers, there is hope for the Philippine National Police.
About 700 young professionals apply for police service as Police Regional Office 6 opens the second phase of PNP Attrition Recruitment Program. Only 260 of them, however, will make it to the final list. And many will not only fail in the process. They may end up frustrated. Cheated. Broken.
The limited quota indicates that only the best and the brightest among the applicants will survive. Will it be the case? Well, there is always a benefit of the doubt that truly it is. Though history tells us that controversies will never be absent in such undertaking.
Recruitment is very important for the PNP. It is not only a mode to replenish its depleting population. It is an opportunity to begin the reform. Transformation. Change.
Unfortunately, stories of alleged irregularities in past recruitment programs make the many of us think that reform in the country's police force is hopeless. That reform is but feasible only in paper. And change is simply associated with statistics of crime rates and crime volumes.
Fairness and transparency have long been forgotten in the PNP recruitment along with the principle of merit and fitness. Of course, top brasses of the organization will debunk this contention. But the truth remains: political intervention is rather a general rule in the selection of applicants. With political intervention, we can't help but think of manipulation. Thus, the big question goes: Will the best and the brightest survive?
We hope!
In fairness, not all applicants who seek political intervention are relatively behind in their qualifications. Most of them have very satisfactory credentials to show off. However, they cannot simply risk the opportunity. They have to play with the game or dance with the music.
While I always tend to believe recruitment as an opportunity for reform, I can't also help losing my faith. Political interventions make the PNP recruitment a showcase of powers. Hence, it is easy to assume that, in the final hour, only those who have the most powerful padrino, and not necessarily the most qualified applicants, win.
Should it be the case, the PNP will surely have difficult time pushing its transformation program.
And, our only hope is the group of successful applicants who will be judged not according to their padrinos but their qualifications.
(Comments to rogatepnp@yahoo.com or 09193161190)