I.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Philippine National Police

I. Historical Highlights

The Philippine National Police (PNP) originated from the Philippine Constabulary or the
PC, which was inaugurated on August 8, 1901, establishing it as an insular police force
under the American regime. On August 8, 1975, Presidential Decree no. 765 was
issued, establishing the Philippine Constabulary Integrated National Police or the
PC/INP as the country’s national police force. These fragmented and diverse local
police units were integrated into a national police force with the Philippine Constabulary
as its nucleus.

After the People’s Revolution in 1986, a new Constitution was promulgated providing for
a police force, which is “national in scope and civilian in character.” Consequently,
Republic Act No. 6975 entitled, “An Act Est

ablishing the Philippine National Police under a Reorganized Department of the Interior
and Local government (DILG),” was signed into law on December 13, 1990, which took
effect on January 1, 1991. Subsequently, the PNP was operational on January 29,
1991, whose members were formerly the PC and the INP and the absorption of the
selected members from the major service units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
such as the Philippine Air Force Security Command, the Philippine Coast Guard,
Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Army.

Thus, to further strengthen the PNP into a highly efficient and competent police force,
Republic Act No. 8551 entitled “PNP Reform and the Reorganization Act of 1998” was
enacted on February 17, 1998, amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 6975.

II. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

1. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PNP TO THE DILG

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 6975 as amended by Republic Act No. 8551, The PNP in
under the administrative control and operational supervision of the National Police
Commission. Meanwhile, the NAPOLCOM is an attached agency of the Department of
the Interior and Local Government for policy and program coordination. The Secretary
of the Interior and Local government is mandated to be the Ex- Officio Chairman of
NAPOLCOM.

2. THE PNP ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

In order to accomplish the mission, powers and functions of the PNP, its structure was
provided for as follows:

1. The PNP Command Group is headed by the Chief PNP who is vested with the
power to command and direct the PNP. He is also assisted by two Deputies
assigned to the administration of the PNP and one for operations side.
2. The Chief of the Directorial Staff serves as the Chief Operations Officer of the
PNP. He coordinates, supervises, and directs the Directorial Staff and the PNP
units in the performance of their respective functions.
3. The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is headed by a Inspector General who
assists the Chief PNP in ensuring operational readiness and investigates
infractions of the regulations committed by the members of the PNP.
4. The Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) is headed by a senior police
commissioned officer who serves as a manager of the facility that will supervise
the implementation of the guidelines and policies on human rights laws.
5. The Center for Police Strategy Management (CPSM) serves as the Central
facility of the PNP in coordinating and integrating all strategy management
processes, sustaining its strategy execution and management, and instilling in
the organization a culture of strategy focus.
6. The Directorial Staff is composed of 16 directorates. Every Director in each unit
has also his defined function in line with his specialization as follows:
o The Directorate for Personnel and Records Management
(DPRM). The director optimizes the utilization of personnel
resources both from the PNP- uniformed and non- uniformed
personnel.
o The Directorate for Intelligence (DI) . The director manages
the gathering/collating of intelligence objectives through
effective management of all intelligence and counter-intelligence
activities of the PNP. He also serves as the linkage of all
foreigners with official transactions with the chief PNP.
o The Directorate for Operations (DO). The director exercises
the command, the control, the direction, the coordination and
the supervision of all activities on PNP operations such as
deployment and employment of personnel.
o The Directorate for Logistics (DL) . The director administers
and manages material resources needed for the PNP operations.
o The Directorate for Plans (DPL). The director plans and
programs strategic PNP operations. He also represents the PNP in
the inter-agency and international affairs on peace and order.
o The Directorate for Comptrollership (DC) . The director
administers and manages the fiscal financial resources.
o The Directorate for Police-Community Relations (DPCR) .
The director formulates and implements community –related
activities, programs and projects. He also supervises the PNP
Salaam Police Center to undertake close monitoring, networking
and liaisoning activities with the Muslim communities in
addressing terrorism and lawless violence in their respective
areas to guarantee that the Muslims are not discriminated,
oppressed or singled-out.
o The Directorate for Investigation and Detective
Management (DIDM). The director coordinates. Controls and
supervises all investigation activities.
o The Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine
Development (DHRDD). The director formulates policies on
matters pertaining to human resources and doctrine
development.
  The Directorate for Research and Development (DRD) . The director engages
in research and development and does testing and evaluation of self-reliant
projects.
 The Directorate for Information and Communications Technology
Management (DICTM). The director integrates and standardizes all the PNP
information systems and resources to further improve the frontline services.
 Five (5) Directorates for Integrated Police Operations (DIPOs) . The Directors
of the clustered areas for Integrated Police Operations, namely: Eastern
Mindanao, Western Mindanao, Visayas, Southern and Northern Luzon are given
the responsibility to direct and to supervise the conduct of integrated anti-
criminality, internal security, counter- terrorism operations, to promote inter-
operability with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and to provide a system to
promote regional socio-economic development.
7. There are 23 National Support Units of the PNP. Eleven (11) of which are
administrative while twelve (12) are operational in nature. The eleven
Administrative Units are as follows:
 Logistics Support Service (LSS).
 Information Technology Management Service (ITMS).
 Finance Service (FS).
 Health Service (HS)..
 Communications and Electronics Service (CES).
 Chaplain Service (CHS).
 Legal Service (LS).
 Headquarters Support Service (HSS).
 Engineering Service( ES).
 Training Service (TS). and
 PNP Retirement and Benefits Administration Service (PRBS) .

The twelve (12) operational support units and their respective functions are as follows:

 Maritime Group (MG). This group is responsible to perform all police functions
over Philippine Territorial waters, lakes, and rivers along coastal areas to include
ports and harbors and small islands for the security and the sustainability
development of the maritime environment.
 Intelligence Group (IG). This group serves as the intelligence and counter-
intelligence operating unit of the PNP.
 Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG). This group provides security to
government vital installations, government officials, visiting dignitaries and private
individuals authorized to be given protection.
 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) . This group monitors,
investigates, prosecutes all crimes involving economic sabotage, and other
crimes of such magnitude and extent as to indicate their commission by highly
placed or professional criminal syndicates and organizations. It also conducts
organized- crime –control, all major cases involving violations of the revised
penal Code, violators of SPECIAL LAWS assigned to them such as Anti-
hijacking, Anti-Carnapping and Cyber crimes among others and atrocities
committed by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)/New People’s Army
(NPA)/National Democratic Front (NDF).
 Special Action Force (SAF). This group is a mobile strike force or a reaction
unit to augment regional , provincial, municipal and city police force for civil
disturbance control, internal security operations, hostage-taking rescue
 operations, search and rescue in times of natural calamities, disasters and
national emergencies and other special police operations such as ant-hijacking,
anti-terrorism, explosives and ordnance disposal. On a special note, the PNP Air
Unit is placed under the supervision of SAF.
 Aviation Security Group (AVEGROUP). This group provides security to all
airports throughout the country.
 Highway Patrol Group (HPG). This group enforces the traffic laws and
regulations, promote safety along the highways, enhances traffic safety
consciousness through inter- agency cooperation concerning Police Traffic
Safety Engineering, Traffic Safety Education and Traffic Law enforcement
functions and develops reforms in the crime prevention aspect against all forms
of lawlessness committed along National Highway involving the use of motor
vehicles.
 Police-Community Relations Group (PCRG) . This group undertakes and
orchestrates Police Community Relations program and activities in partnership
with concerned government agencies, the community, and volunteer
organizations in order to prevent crime and attain a safe and peaceful
environment.
 Civil Security Group (CSG). This group regulates business operations and
activities of all organized private detectives, watchmen, security guards/agencies
and company guard forces. It also supervises the licensing and registration of
firearms and explosives.
 Crime Laboratory (CL). This group provides scientific and technical,
investigative aide and support to the PNP and other investigative agencies. It
also provides crime laboratory examination, evaluation and identification of
physical evidence gathered at the crime scene with primary emphasis on
medical, biological and physical nature.
 PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) . This Group serves as the primary
unit of the PNP in addressing kidnapping menace in the country and in handling
hostage situations. And
 PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP- ACG) . This Group is responsible for the
implementation of pertinent laws on cybercrimes and anti-cybercrime campaigns
of the PNP.
8. For the main PNP operating units, there are seventeen (17) Police Regional
Offices nationwide which correspond to the Regional subdivisions of the country.
Directly under the Police Regional Offices are seventeen (17) Regional Public
Safety Battalions (RPSB), eighty (80) Police Provincial Offices which correspond
to the number of Provinces in the country and twenty (20) City Police Offices
(CPOs) in highly urbanized and independent cities , which are equivalent to a
Provincial Police Office.

The Police Provincial Offices have their respective Provincial Public Safety Companies
(PPSC) which is utilized primarily for internal security operations (ISO). The number of
platoons in a Provincial Public Safety Company is dependent on the existing peace
and order situation in the province concerned.

Finally, a total of 1,766 Police Stations are established nationwide and they are
categorized as follows: 90 Component City Police Stations and 1,507 Municipal Police
Stations under the Police Provincial Offices, 131 Police Stations under the City Police
Offices, and 38 Police Stations/City Police Stations in the National Capital Regional
Police Office which serve as the main operating arms of the PNP for the anti-criminality
campaign.