PNP chief's new rule: Police need 'proof of arrest' to climb ranks

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will require police officers seeking placements and promotions to submit affidavits of arrest as “receipts” or proof of accomplishments.

During his first flag ceremony at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, June 9, newly appointed PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III announced the new performance metric for policemen, specifically referencing warrantless arrest. He described it as the hardest part of a policeman’s job.

“So for our rank and file, our patrolmen, corporals, and sergeants, and our lieutenants who are seeking promotion, the points from their affidavit of arrest will be a major metric,” Torre said in Filipino.

“f you want to be promoted, an affidavit of arrest will be one of the things we'll ask for and require. This is just to be fair to all those people on the ground,” he added.

Torre referred to the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure that govern warrantless arrests. According to the rules, a law enforcement officer may arrest an individual without a warrant if:

(a) When, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense;

(b) When an offense has just been committed, and he has probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it; and

(c) When the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from a penal establishment or place where he is serving final judgment or is temporarily confined while his case is pending, or has escaped while being transferred from one confinement to another.

It was during the change of command ceremony on June 2 when Torre first revealed the new metric system for evaluating policemen’s performance.

RELATED: CHR warns PNP: 'Paramihan' arrests metric may lead to abuse

The Commission on Human Rights, however, warned that the system may lead to abuse and could undermine human rights.

In response, Torre said that the police would work closely with the commission and would strictly adhere to established police procedures while upholding human rights.