PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said he is hell-bent on making sure that from hereon, all police applicants will make it to the force on their own and bereft of any external interference or the usual ‘resetas and pakisuyo’ from influential personalities including retired generals.

“It’s high time to start the so-called ‘Padrino System’ in the PNP. Nung NCRPO director ako, mga 4,000 plus ang nag-file ng application pero mga 300 ang me mga reseta,” he recounted.

According to the 26th PNP chief, all the applicants during his term as Metro Manila police chief were all qualified to enter the police force.

“They were all eligible but we look for the best qualified applicant, yung papasa sa BMI, sa agility test, sa physical, medical, dental, NP test,” he said.

Eleazar said that he is making sure that police applicants will be making it to the force on their own and not because they had the backings of retired generals or other government officials and influential personalities.

“Naging kalakaran na kasi na kung walang padrino, kung hindi nakatimbre, hindi ka matatanggap. Yun ang naging attitude noon at saksi tayo diyan. Meron talagang binibilin, me nagsasabi na baka ma-slash,” he said.

“But because of this system, nawawalan ng chance yung applicants na walang kakilala, Pero masisisi mo ba yung retired general na tatawag? Masisisi mo ba yung nasa Health Service na me care of,” he added.

Eleazar lamented the fact that some PNP applicants in the past failed to fulfill their dream of becoming policemen because they have no so-called ‘connections.’ >

The old practice also prompted some applicants to seek the help of some persons who promised them entry to the force, naturally for a fee.

“Yun ang dahilan kung bakit me iba tayong mga kababayan na nagbenta ng kalabaw, talagang kumapit sa patalim para makapasok sa PNP,” he said.

Eleazar said that under a new PNP recruitment system, qualified applicants can be assured of entry into the force. “Sa ating QR Code System, no names, mami-minimize diyan ang intervention,” he said.

The PNP chief warned PNP recruitment officers that they will be in deep trouble should they be found out to be involved in recruitment irregularities. “Toe the line kayo lahat diyan as I will be checking recruitment personnel na nagbibigay ng pangalan, mga pangako sa aplikante. Tiyak mamalasin kayo sa akin,” the top cop underscored.

He also told PNP applicants not to believe in people telling them they can help them facilitate their entry into the police force. “I am telling all PNP applicants nap ag me lumapit sa inyo at nagsabing tutulungan kayo kapalit ng pera, lolokohin lang kayo ng mga yan,” he said.

P1-M FOR 3 APPLICANTS IN MINDANAO?

Eleazar said he particularly wants a full stop to purported recruitment anomalies in the past including charges that some Mindanao police officials were bribed into accepting unqualified applicants into the regional police force.

There were reports that during the former Macapagal-Arroyo administration, some Mindanao police officials demanded P1 million per three police applicants.

The ‘3 applicants for P1 million’ scheme reportedly involved local politicians who shelled out the money some police commanders to ensure that their relatives who have fraudulent credentials and do not possess the minimum qualifications to become a policeman would become PNP members.

As soon as the unqualified candidates got their badge, gun and uniform, they eventually became members of their patrons’ partisan armed group.

Eleazar said it is highly possible that some enterprising people may lure PNP applicants into believing they could really have themselves hired by the force in exchange for money. “That’s not true. Pero pag me 20 aplikante na nilapitan ang isang tao at natanggap ang 5, eh di kumita pa siya,” he said.

“Ngayon, sa aming bagong systema, kapag nakapasa ang isang aplikante, tiyak na nakapasa siya on his own. Actually, we’re not reinventing the wheel. Ginawa na ito ng ibang Chief,PNP. Hindi ko din sinisisi mga retired generals, naging kultura na kasi ito. This is not an ambitious effort pero kung ito ang makakatulong sa ating internal cleansing program, gawin na natin,” the PNP chief added.

Eleazar assured that to ensure that only the best and the brightest will be recruited and positioned into the PNP, there would be no more ‘padrino system’ in the organization which is embarking on a massive transformation program,

“Walang palakasan. Ngayon pa lang, humihingi na ako ng pasensya sa mga gustong makiusap, sa mga kasamahan natin sa PNP, sa mga retired senior police officer, sa aking mga kamag-anak at kaibigan. Pasensyahan na po, tatablahin ko kayo,” he said.

The problem has plagued the organization’s recruitment system. In some cases in the past, PNP applicants who have failed strict requirements such as the neuro-psychiatric test were able to enter the force after getting help from their benefactors, some of them politicians and retired police officials.

Eleazar said he really wants to put an end to the problem just like his predecessors.

“Tinutuwid na po natin ang kultura ng palakasan at padrino system sa recruitment na nagsilbing hadlang para makapasok ang iba pang mga qualified na aplikante. Bukas na bukas ang pintuan ng aming organisasyon para sa inyo,” he explained.