By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) pledged tighter action against recruitment fixers as it seeks to prevent money, personal connections and other forms of influence from affecting the entry of new personnel into the police service.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said all Police Regional Offices (PROs) and National Support Units (NSU) have been directed to strictly monitor recruitment activities and immediately act against “slot-for-sale” schemes.
“We have instructed all regional offices and support units to strictly monitor recruitment activities and immediately act against fixers and slot-for-sale schemes. Safeguards are in place to ensure that only qualified applicants enter the service,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Nartatez issued the directive as he administered the oath to over 7,000 newly hired patrolmen and patrolwomen of the PNP National Support Units under the 2026 regular and attrition recruitment programs on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla to strengthen integrity in government recruitment processes.
The recruits include 5,100 under the attrition quota and 2,000 under the regular recruitment quota. Of these, 946 patrolmen and patrolwomen took their oath at Camp Crame and will be assigned to National Support Units, while the rest were welcomed in regional offices.
The PNP chief said enforcement against recruitment-related violations remains ongoing. He disclosed that an operation last week resulted in the arrest of active PNP personnel allegedly involved in a slot-for-sale scheme.
He said the crackdown forms part of the PNP’s effort to ensure that the latest batch of recruits enters the organization under a system that emphasizes merit, discipline and integrity.
“This new batch of 7,000 personnel represents a disciplined, integrity-driven police force. We want the public to see officers who serve with honesty, competence, and commitment to the Filipino people,” Nartatez said. (PNA)
