Zubiri assures PNP of Senate support
SENATE President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Sunday assured officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) the Senate is doing everything to support the needs of the police force.
In a speech before police officials attending the 44th grand alumni homecoming of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in Silang, Cavite, Zubiri said the Senate has benefitted from the wisdom of police officers who became senators: Robert Barbers, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Alfredo Lim and currently, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
He said legislators and law enforcers must “work hand-in-hand.”
“Whatever instruments we wield, whether it be guns or pens, our goal is the same: to protect and uplift our communities and the whole nation,” Zubiri said.
He said the Senate has passed legislation in support of the PNP, including Republic Act (RA) 11549 in 2021or the “Height Equality Act” that reduced the height requirement for not only police recruits but also firefighters and jail and corrections officers.
“We know that a good cop is not defined by their height — what counts is their courage, their commitment, and their integrity. And so this law opened the doors for many more Filipinos to enter the police force and dedicate themselves to the service of our people,” the senator from Bukidnon said.
Just last month, the Senate passed on third and final reading the PNP Organizational Reforms Act that aims to update the structures of the PNP and streamline its leadership, organization and management.
“We will be institutionalizing offices such as the Directorial Staff and the Area Police Command across the country, to fortify their roles and integrate them better into the police force,” Zubiri said.
The Jail Integration Act, which will transfer provincial and subprovincial jails from the supervision of LGUs to the supervision of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), was also passed on third and final reading last week in the Senate.
“Under the expert management of the BJMP, we hope to create a more efficient and standardized system of management for all persons deprived of liberty, no matter where they are serving their time,” Zubiri said.
The bill will also complement the Heinous Crimes Facility Act that was passed in the 18th Congress and has obtained funding this year, he said.“With that supermax facility in Mindoro, we hope to decongest our jails, and we hope to establish a better managed penitentiary system that will help low-level offenders have a truly rehabilitative time in prison, away from the influence of high-level offenders,” Zubiri said.
He also said the committee report for the BFP and BJMP Rank Classification Act is out and is ready for plenary debates.
Apart from legislation targeting institutional improvement, Zubiri said the Senate is also working on bills that will help the PNP in arms procurement, namely the amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act and the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Act.
“The SRDP Act, in particular, is very important to me, because I believe that we should be able to produce our own defense needs, on our own time — instead of relying on our foreign allies for the bulk of our arms procurement,” he said.
The PNP Forensic DNA Database Act will revolutionize criminal investigation procedures and keep the country at par with global standards in forensic sciences and practices, Zubiri said.