Police applicants face tougher exams amid rise in complaints

National

BEHIND many of the complaints filed against the police are young officers who entered the service ill-prepared for the legal and emotional demands of the job, prompting the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to overhaul its recruitment process.

Napolcom Vice Chairman Rafael Calinisan said a review of more than 4,000 pending administrative cases showed that a significant number involved newly appointed policemen.

“It just tells us that we need to tighten the entry of new cops,” he said in a Philstar report.

The reforms will focus on improving legal education for criminology graduates and strengthening neuro-psychiatric screening for applicants and active officers.

Calinisan noted that many new police officers begin their careers without a solid grasp of basic legal procedures, such as the exceptions to warrantless arrests, which could lead to violations even when intentions are good.

To address these gaps, Napolcom and the Philippine National Police Academy have been reviewing the criminology curriculum since November 2025.

Meanwhile, the commission has partnered with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to conduct workshops and provide legal aid to officers, aiming to reduce procedural mistakes that often result in case dismissals.

Napolcom is also working with psychiatric organizations to reinforce what officials describe as the moral fiber of the police force. Additional psychiatrists may be hired to ensure all recruits and serving officers undergo thorough mental and emotional assessments.

Candidates currently take a 35-item neuro-psychiatric exam and undergo background checks. Calls for regular psychological testing intensified after the December 2020 killing of a woman and her son in Paniqui, Tarlac by the late M/Sgt. Jonel Nuezca, with some lawmakers urging annual examinations for all personnel.

Calinisan said these stricter measures will not slow recruitment, emphasizing that the police force remains well below the ideal ratio of one officer per 500 Filipinos. The focus, he said, is on ensuring that recruits are capable and well-prepared.

The commission’s push for stricter standards comes as it received two sets of administrative complaints against 16 personnel of the Dasmariñas City Police.

Eighteen carpenters, laborers, and a security guard accused the officers of illegal arrest and procedural violations, claiming they were detained without a warrant, handcuffed at the station, and left uninformed of the reason for their arrest, causing fear and humiliation.

The identities of the officers are withheld pending investigation.(MyTVCebu)