OVER 40 new Philippine National Police (PNP) lawyers have been urged to stay in the service and help push their legal offensive against persons involved in lawless activities including drugs and corruption.

Last week, the PNP leadership called on 43 new lawyers from the force to stay in the organization and add more teeth to their legal offensive in the campaign against criminality, illegal drugs, and corruption.

Presence of new lawyers in the PNP would definitely boost the force’s legal offensive amid revelations that there’s only one lawyer for every 1,400 police officers.

PNP Deputy Director for Personnel and Records Management, Brigadier General Matthew P. Baccay made the revelation when he spoke in a recent hearing of the House Committee on Justice about a bill seeking to provide free legal assistance to officers and personnel of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Philippine Coast Guard.

Himself a lawyer, Brig. Gen. Baccay said there are only 146 lawyers in the PNP Legal Service that could look after the legal needs of 228,685 police officers nationwide.

This prompted Cavite (4th District) Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. to call on the PNP leadership to create more incentives to attract more lawyers in the force.

At present, lawyers who join the PNP Legal Service automatically earn the rank of Police Captain with a Salary Grade 21 of P56,000. This relatively meager salary has been seen as the reason why lawyers are not attracted to work for the PNP.

A retired police star-rank officer-attorney said the poor salary would scare a lawyer from joining the PNP. He said that when he worked with a private law firm, he earned in two months what he earned in the PNP for a year.

This reality has prompted the PNP leadership to call on active PNP uniformed and non-uniformed personnel to seriously consider staying in the police service more than the prospects that await them in private practice.

The PNP leadership recently welcomed the entry to the Philippine Bar of 43 of its personnel who successfully passed the 2022 Bar examination.

PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. led the 227,000-strong police force in congratulating the 11 Police Commissioned Officers, 29 Police Non-Commissioned Officers and 3 Non-Uniformed Personnel -turned lawyers.

Records from the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management showed that those assigned in the National Capital Region recorded the highest number of new PNP lawyers namely Lieutenant Colonel Erving D. Chan, Police Master Sergeant Jose Mari Q. Whiteside; Staff Sgt. Lovely May B. Janguin; SSgt. Rey Vincent P. Mamauag; SSgt. Jerusalem B. Dulnuan; SSgt. Marie Ranelle V. Dulnuan; SSgt. Desiree C. Pasong and Corporal Dizzy D. Buyuccan.

Next was the Police Regional Office 9 in Western Mindanao with five namely Major Alvin DLS Lepiten; MSgt. Marifel O. Sabandal; SSgt. Roderick Isong and NUPs Marifer A. Miguel and Loi Dominic T. Arancon.

The Police Regional Office 10 in Northern Mindanao and the Cordillera Police Regional Office each recorded four 2022 Bar passers. From the PRO10, the new layers are Lt. Col. Michelle S. Olaivar; SSGt. Nair A. Malawani; SSgt. Elmond O. Montero and NUP Rose Anna O. Abuhan.

Those who came from the PRO-Cordillera were Major Leonard A. Danasen, SSgt. Jefferon B. Cadap; and Corporals Techie P. Assudo and John Bryan L. Cong-o.

The other new PNP lawyers are MSgt. Christin Philip M. Reduca and SSgt. Febelyn D. Tebes of the PRO1 in Ilocos-Pangasinan region; Police Executive MSgt. Alex C. Becerra and Senior MSgt. Roland G. Molino of the PRO3 in Central Luzon;

Cpl. Joan C. Mecono and SSgt. Lorena C. Ripalda of the PRO8 in Eastern Visayas; Maj. Marlo Y. Gabato and MSgt. Faidzal G. Sendad of the PNP Maritime Group; Lt. Col. Alvin L. Villalon of the PNP Academy; Lt. Col. Caesar Ian C. Binucal of the National Police Training Institute;

Maj. Jericho P. Rapiz of the PNP Finance Service; Maj. James O. Bad-e of the PNP Forensic Group; Captain Jenyvie B. Nagtalon of the PNP Aviation Security Group; Cpt. Chery M. Ricafort of the PNP EOD/K-9 Group;

MSgt. Joey A. Gumera of the PNP Women and Children Protection Center; MSgt. Sherwin M. Balagat of the PNP Special Action Force; SSgt. Ailyn Don D. Angeles of the PRO5 in Bicol region; SSgt. Jazal DC Andrada of the PRO6 in Western Visayas;

SSgt. Joel B. Purog Jr. of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; Cpl Joy P. Dayag of the PRO4-A in Calabarzon region; Cpl. Rogelio G. Marcelo of the PRO4-B in Mimaropa region; and Patrolman Melody B. Mamilig of the PNP Health Service.

The Supreme Court said a total of 3,992 out of 9,183 examinees, or 43.47 percent passed the 2022 Bar examination.

Nine graduates of the PNP Academy were among the 2022 Bar passers, the PNPA said.

Six of them are Police Lt. Col. Aldyn L. Villalon on PNPA Class 2008; Police Lt. Col. Caesar Ian C. Binucal of PNPA Class 2010; Police Major Joy Anne E. Pascual of PNPA Class 2011; Police Major Jericho P. Rapiz of PNPA Class 2012; Police Major Leonard A. Danasen of PNPA Class 2012; and Jail Senior Inspector Midzfar H. Omar of PNPA Class 2017.

“The Team PNPA especially the Cadet Corps PNP, proudly extends its warmest congratulations to the six new PNPA lawyers for continuously earning recognition and commendable accomplishments which bring utmost pride and distinct honor to our beloved Alma Mater,” the PNPA said in a statement.

The Journal Group also learned that three other PNPA graduates likewise passed the 2022 Bar examination. They are Police Colonel Walfredo Pornillos of PNPA Class 1991; Marlo Gabato of PNPA Class 2004 and Police Major Erving Chan of PNPA Class 2009.

The University of the Philippines produced the top five Bar passers led by Czar Matthew Dayday who topped all examinees with a score of 88.81 percent.