Introduction: The organization with management that has the specific responsibility of maintaining

and administration is directed towards the law and order and combating crime within the
achievement of goals and objectives. society.

Goals are broad statements of general and long The term police are derived from the
term organizational purposes often used to define word POLITIA, meaning condition of a state,
the role of the police, for instance, to prevent government and
crime, maintain order or help solve community administration, POLITIA organization is from
problems. Objectives are specific short term the Greek word POLITEIA which means
statements consistent with an organizations goal. government, citizenship, or the entire activity of
a POLIS, a city.
The organization guides members in its operation
of the assigned duties. It enhances better POLICE (broadest sense) means the internal
administration of the department. Good organization or regulation of a state, the control
organization and administration would eventually and regulation of a community or state through
mean effective and efficient police work. the exercise of the constitutions power of the
Organization can also distinguish by their degree government.
of formality and structure:
POLICE (less broad sense) it denotes the power
1. Formal Organization-is defined as those of the government which concerns the tranquility,
organizations that are formally established for public order, peace, security of persons and
explicit purpose of achieving certain goals. property and the protection of the public health
(Stable social institutions.) and moral.

2. Informal Organization- are those sharing In the very restricted sense, the word police refer
the basic characteristic of all organizations arise exclusively to that body of armed men which as
through the social interactions of individuals or an institution is capable of exercising its duties by
through family grouping. armed physical forces in the preservation and
detection of crime and the execution of laws.
What is Organization?
It is a form of human association for the Police Activities:
attainment of goal or objective. 1. The prevention of Criminality.
2. Repression of Crime.
It is the process of identifying and grouping the 3. Apprehending of offenders.
work to be performed, defining and delegating 4. Recovery of Property.
responsibility and authority establishing 5. Regulation of Non-Criminal Conduct.
relationships for the propose of enabling people 6. Performance of Related Miscellaneous Service.
work effectively.
What is Police Organization? The organization of the police force commonly
requires the following organizational units:
Police organization is a group of trained Functional Units:
personnel in the field of public safety 1. Bureau - the largest organic functional unit
administration engaged in the achievement of within a large department. It comprises of
goals and objectives that promotes the numbers of divisions:
maintenance of crimes.
2. Division - a primary subdivision of a bureau.
Administration of Police Organization - It is
the systematic structure of management of a 3. Section -functional unit within a division that
police organization. is necessary for specialization.

What is Police? 4. Unit -functional group within a section; or the

smallest functional group within an organization.
Police is a branch of the criminal justice system
 which requires that the officer be excused from
Territorial Units: the performance of his active regular duty.

1. Post - a fixed point or location to which an 9. Leave of Absence- period, which an officer is
officer is assigned for duty, such as a designated excused from active duty by any valid\acceptable
desk or office or an intersection or cross walk reason, approved by higher authority.
from traffic duty.It is a spot location for general
guard duty. 10. Sick leave -period which an officer is
excused from active duty by reason of illness or
2. Route -a length of streets designated for injury.
patrol purposes. It is also called LINE BEAT.
11. Suspension - a consequence of an act which
3. Beat - an area assigned for patrol purposes, temporarily deprives an officer from the privilege
whether foot or motorized. of performing his duties as result of violating
directives or other department regulations.
4. Sector - an area containing two or more
beats, routes, or post. 12. Department Rules- rules established by
department directors\superiors to control the
5. District-a geographical subdivision of a city conduct of the members of the police force.
for patrol purposes, usually with its own station.
13. Duty Manual -describes the procedures and
6. Area- a section or territorial division of a large defines the duties of officers assigned to specified
city each comprised of designated districts. post or position.

Other Items and Terminologies 14. Order – an instruction given by a ranking

officer to a subordinate, either:
1. Sworn Officers-all personnel of the police a. General Order,
department who have oath and who possess the b. Special, or
power to arrest. c. Personal

2. Superior Officer- one having supervisory 15. Report - usually a written communication
responsibilities, either temporarily or unless otherwise specifies to be verbal reports;
permanently, over officers of lower rank. verbal reports should be confirmed by written
communication.
3. Commanding Officer- an officer who is in
command of the department, a bureau, a Nature of Police Organization
division, an area, or a district.
The police department is truly a complex
4. Ranking Officer- the officer who has the bureaucracy. It is mostly a multi-level
senior rank in a team or group. organization, organized in the form of a pyramid
with the top-level administrator being the chief of
5. Length of Service- the period of time that police.
has elapsed since the oath of office was
administered. Previous active services may be At the bottom level of the organization, one finds
included or added. the patrolman or line officer.

6. On Duty - the period when an officer is The patrol officer is the backbone of the police
actively engaged in the performance of his duty. department.

7. Off Duty - the nature of which the police The lowest level worker found in many, if not
officer is free from specific routine duty. most, complex organizations who usually
performs the routine, repetitive kind of work
8. Special Duty -the police service, its nature, necessary to keep the organization functioning.
 identified. Singleness of purpose is fostered.
The police department by its very nature places
the line officer in a position where he is a decision Coordination of effort is relatively easy to achieve
maker and manager of his area o responsibility because functional overlapping in between units,
from the first time he is given a beat to patrol. a prime cause of friction in any organization can
be minimized.
There are indeed few agencies in which the
efficiency and parameter of the law enforcement Functional Organization
functions are vested in those individuals quite
likely have the least amount of experience and The functional organization in its pure form is
expertise in the organization. rarely found in present day organizations, except
at or near the top of the very large organizations.
Types of Police Organizational Structures
Unlike the type of structure, those establishments
An organizational structure is a mechanical organized on a functional basis violate the prime
means of depicting, by an arrangement of rule that men perform best when they have but
symbols, the relationships that exist between one superior.
individuals, groups, and functional relationships
between groups and individuals clearly defined to The functional responsibility of each functional
ensure accountability and compliance. manager is limited to the particular activity over
which he has control, regardless of who performs
Line Organization the function.
The straight line organization, often called the
individual, military or departmental types of Coordination of effort in this type of organization
organization, is the simplest and perhaps the becomes difficult since the employees responsible
oldest types; but it is seldom encountered in its for results may be subject to functional direction
channels of authority and responsibility extends of several persons.
in a direct line from top to bottom within the
structures, authority is definite and absolute. Discipline is difficult to administer because of this
multi-headed leadership.
While the line type of organization has many
advantages, it also has some inherent There may be considerable conflict among the
weaknesses which, for many organizations, make functional administrators, resulting in much
its use impractical. conclusion among line personnel.

Perhaps its greatest advantages it that, it is Line of authority and responsibility are
utterly simple. It involves a division of the work fragmented into many functional channels,
into units of eight people with a person in charge making each superior responsible to several
who has complete control and who can be hold superiors depending upon the function he
directly responsible or accountable for result, or happens to be performing.
lack of them.
The functional organization in its purest form is
Quick decisions can be made in the line rarely found in present-day organization except
organization because of the direct lines authority. at or near the top level.

Because of these direct lines, each member in the Advantages

chain of command knows to whom he is clearly
fixed. 1. divides responsibility and authority between
several specialists;
Discipline is administered in this type of the
organization. 2. Functional responsibility is limited to the
particular activity over which he has control
Responsibility for making decisions is well regardless of who performs the functions.
 Concepts of Police Service
Disadvantages
1. Old Concepts -this old philosophy means
1. Coordination of effort becomes difficult; throwing more people in jail rather than keeping
these out jail. Punishment is the sole instrument
2. Discipline is difficult to administer; of crime control. The yardstick of efficiency of the
police is more on arrests.
3. Conflict among the functional administrators.
2. Modern Concept -police service today has
Line and Staff Organization broadened its activities to include certain aspect
of social service for the welfare of the people.
The line and staff organization is a Their yardstick of efficiency is the absence of
combination of the line and functional types. crime.

It combines staff specialist such as the All police function and activities can be
criminalists, the training officers, the research categorized as their line or non-line. Line
and development specialists, etc. channels of functions are those tasks that directly facilitate
responsibility is to think and provide expertise for the accomplishment of organizational goals,
the line units. whereas non-line functions are those tasks that
supplement the line its task performance.
The line supervisor must remember that he
obtains advice from the staff specialist. Line activities are further broken into the sub-
categories: primary line and secondary line
In normal operations, the staff supervisor has line functions, both of which are field service.
commands but with recognized limitations such
as coordination between line and staff personnel 1. Line Function
can be achieved without undue friction.
1.1. Primary Line Function
Failure to recognize these line and staff
relationship is the greatest and most frequent The primary line function is police patrol; that is
source of friction and a barrier to effective the patrol activities of a police organization are
coordination. considered basic and the first priority.

The advantage of this kind would be- it combines The patrol division has the initial responsibility for
staff specialist or units with line organization so crime prevention and dictation of the
that service of knowledge can be provided line apprehension of offenders.
personnel by specialist.
It also assists in the preparation in the facts for
presentation in a court of law.
POLICE SERVICE
Theoretically, if the patrol force were 100 percent
Fundamental Theories of Police Service effective in the execution of its assigned tasks,
the need for specialized units (traffic and
1. The Continental Theory - police are servant detective) would be eliminated.
of higher authorities and the people have little or
no share at all in their duties, nor any direct The patrol function is accurately called the
connection with them. backbone of the police service.

2. The Home Rule Theory - policemen are 1.2. Secondary Function

considered as servants of the community who
defend for the effectiveness of their function Historically, police department were established
upon the express wishes of the people. only as police patrols, however as municipalities
increased in population, area, and technology (for
example, the invention of the automobile), the as either the staff or auxiliary.
burden of this patrols was greatly increased.
In many instances they perform a dual service.
The department, were unable to provide Police community relation units, although
additional personnel because of budgetary performing secondary line service, may be
limitations, were unable to increase the number designated as an auxiliary or even a staff
of the officers on the patrol beat in proportion to function.
the rising population and rate of crime and was
force to enlarge each officers beat. LINE FUNCTION

2. Non-Line Function Primary Secondary Staff Auxiliary

-Patrol
Simply put, non-line functions are those services -Criminal Investigation
that support the line. -Vice Investigation
Whereas the line provides services directly to the -Planning and Research
citizens, non-line activities help the line to -Inspection
accomplish its primary task. -Police Record System
-Identification service
Traditionally non-line or support activities consist -Traffic Regulation and control
of two major categories: staff and auxiliary -Crime Prevention
services. -Personnel Administration
-Training
2.1. Staff Services -Budgeting Control
-Purchasing
These activities that have the responsibility and -Public Relation
personal development and department -Property control
management are staff services. -Communication
-Crime Laboratory
Personal development includes recruitment, -Jail-Supply
selection, training, and supervision. -Transportation
-Maintenance
Budget, planning and research, inspection, and
similar activities fall under the heading of PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION
managerial activities.
To understand the organization and operation of
2.2. Auxiliary Services public departments certain general basic
principles of organization must be understood.
All non-line not regarded as staff service are
classified as auxiliary services. These principles of organization were generated
by the experience of industry, business, and the
Typically, they provide support service of both a military services.
technical and non-technical nature to both line
and non-line activities. They have no absolute values, but they do
provide a check list against which an organization
Polygraph examiner, photographer, fingerprint can be structurally and functionally evaluated.
and crime scene technicians, and the police
laboratory are technical auxiliary services that This notion will become more defined as each
support the line activities. principle is considered.

The jail and the communication system and non- Division of Labor
line (staff) activities.
For a police organization to be effective, work
Some activities are extremely difficult to classify assignments must be designed so that similar
tasks, functions, and activities are given to an command-with the chief.
individual or group for accomplishment.
However, if a subordinate is to be held
Police functions are sub-divided into units that responsible for the accomplishment of a given
are described as follows: task, he or she must be given the authority to
carry out those responsibilities.
1. Branch -usually the largest unit within station
It is important, also the responsibility and the
2. Division - part of the branch having a authority be clearly defined.
department-wide function
If the patrol officers are given the responsibility
3. Section -basically one of the several for evaluating police response time on a given
functional elements of a division day or in a specific situation, the officer must be
given the authority to procure the communication
Unity of Command logs from the communication center.
Without this authority, the entire task cannot be
Unity of command requires that an individual accomplished.
be directly accountable to only one superior. No
person can effectively serve two superiors at a Delineation of Responsibility and Authority
given time.
A clear-out delineation of responsibility and
Chain of Command authority is essential to prevent confusion of lines
Primarily this principle provides for the vertical of authority.
movement of authority up and down established
channels in the organizational hierarchy. If responsibility and authority are not clearly
defined, conflicts, duplication and overlaps of
To illustrate this concept, consider a directives function lead to confusion and inefficiency.
originating in the office of the patrol chief
intended for the patrol force (downward Each officer and each organization segment of
movement). authority delegated to accomplish the job.

Two levels of authority fall between the patrol Span of Control

chief and the patrol officer inspector. The number of officers or units reporting directly
to the supervisor should not exceed the number
Because both levels are held responsible for that can be feasibly and effectively coordinate
various aspects of patrol supervision, both must and directed.
be aware of such directives.
There are an innumerable factor that limits the
If either supervisor is by-passed, that one cannot span control including distance, time, knowledge,
beheld accountable for the lack of knowledge. personality, and the complexity of the work to be
performed.
Further, performance of supervisory duties is
greatly hindered, and potentially serious problem It is not unusual to fine fifty or sixty workers to
is created. perform identification function reporting to one
supervisor.
Delegation of Responsibility and Authority
On the other hand, as we ascend the chain of
There must be a clear line of normal authority command and the diversity of functions
running from the top to bottom of every increases, the number of individuals that a police
organization. executive supervises decreases rapidly.

Ultimate authority and responsibility for a police Objective

organization lies at the top of the chain of
All organizational elements must contribute, 1. Post - a fixed or stationary point location (e.g.,
directly or indirectly, to the accomplishment of a specified street intersection, surveillance site,
the objectives of the enterprise. or an assigned desk or office).

Each organizational element should be formed for 2. Route or Lined Beat- a length of street
a definite purpose, and this purposes must be normally assigned to the traffic and patrol officers
accomplish the major objective. whether foot or mobile. The rout has the
characteristics of being continuous, in a straight
Any police function and organizational elements line, or the line sight.
that is not required in the accomplishment of the
overall objectives should be eliminated. 3. Beat - a geographical area, once again
assigned to either foot or mobile patrol and traffic
officer.
Coordination
4. Section - two or more beats, routes, posts, or
The organizational structure must facilitate the any combination thereof.
development of close, friendly, and co-operative Clientele
relations, especially between line and staff
activities. The distribution of patrol services with respect to
the characteristics of the population served must
Effective coordination is dependent almost be recognized and dealt with in contemporary law
entirely upon adequate communication among all enforcement. The development of specialized
element of a police organization. functional units expresses the principle of the
organization by clientele.
Time
Nature of the Office ofa Policeman
The police service is among the few public
services that maintain a twenty-four-hour A police man must have a mind of a lawyer the
schedule. soul of a clergyman, the heart of the social
It is necessary to the department to assigned worker, discipline of an army sergeant, the
officers in sufficient number to meet the demands integrity of a saint. He must believe in a
at any given time. community of law, while seeing little but
lawlessness; believe in the goodness of man,
Watch or Shift while seeing the man most often at his worst,
depend on his faithfulness, know his jurisdictions
A time division of the day to ensure proper like a sociologist, and he must understand people
allocation of personnel. like a psychologist. He must take long view of life
Shifts are normally eight consecutive hours, five like a philosopher and yet never losing his
days, giving an officer a forty-hour a week. common touch.

However, longer working hours and work weeks POLICE OPERATIONS

are common. Police Operation
Further, shifts frequently overlaps to provide Another word in the large collection of police
additional personnel during peak period. service terminology is operations. For the most
part, operation is synonymous with line
Territory function. In accordance with previous
Territorial distribution is necessary to ensure the definitions, operations are inclusive of both
availability and general suitability of the patrol primary and secondary line functions.
service throughout a jurisdiction. Geographical or
territorial divisions of the department can beer
described as follows:
Subdivision of the Operation
7. Homicide Division\Section - shall be
Area. charged with the duty to investigate homicide
and murder cases.
1. District - is a subdivision of a province and
shall consist of a metropolitan city or a 8. Municipal Police Sub-station - shall be
metropolitan city and adjacent municipalities\ concerned with the general maintenance of
small cities, or several adjacent municipalities and peace, order and public safety within their
small cities. respective jurisdictions. The Municipal Police Sub-
station shall consist of two principal sections with
2. Station -is a subdivision of a district and shall corresponding functions as indicated below:
consist of a large municipality or a small city or
municipalities\small city and some adjacent a. Patrol Section
smaller municipalities or several adjacent
municipalities. 1. Preservation of peace and order

3. Sub-station -is a subdivision of a station and 2. Suppression of criminal activities

shall consist of a large municipality or small city
or a municipality itself. 3. Crime prevention

Operating Unit of a Police Station 4. Inspection activities

1. Patrol Division\Section - shall be 5. Enforcement of traffic laws and regulations

responsible for crime prevention;
generalpreservation of peace and order; crime 6. Fire prevention and control
suppression, and other public safety services.
b. Investigation section
2. Investigation Division\section - shall be
charged with the duty of carrying on the 1. Crime investigation
objectives of criminal investigation, that is, to
identify and locate the guilty party and provide 2. vice control
evidence of his guilt through criminal
proceedings. 3. Control of juvenile delinquency

3. Vice Control Division\Section - shall be 4. Custody of prisoners

responsible for the neutralization or suppression
of vices such as gambling, prostitution and drug Peace Officer of Small Police Station
abuse.
Peace officers of small Police stations are
4. Juvenile Division\Section - shall be considered as generalist. Most small police station
primarily concerned with children and youth, the within the limits of their capabilities, are
correction and rehabilitation of youth offenders. responsible for all activities in the fields of law
enforcement and public safety. They provide
5. Intelligence Division\Section - shall work routine patrol, conduct premise inspection, make
for the detection of syndicated crimes and subtle criminal and traffic investigations, make arrest,
criminal activities, including subversion and and in other ways, provide for the community
threats to the security of the state. security. In such stations, its members and
officers are by and large generalist.
6. Traffic Division\section - shall be
responsible from the enforcement of traffic laws Historical Background on Policing
and regulation of traffic. This section is primarily
concerned with the motorist and pedestrians. Primitive Policing Law enforcement can be traced
back to the cave dwellers, who were expected to
follow certain rules or face banishment or death. that their rules and decrees were followed. From
The customs depicted in early cave dwelling may the Greek philosopher PLATO, who lived from 427
represent the beginning of law and law to347 B.C., was the idea that punishment should
enforcement. The prehistoric social order serve the purpose rather than simple retaliation.
consisted of small family groups living together as
tribes or clans. Group living gave rise to customs Ancient Rome
everyone was expected to observe. The tribe’s
chief had executive, legislative and judicial The Romans had a high development system of
powers and often appointed tribe members to administering justice. The 12Tabulae (12 tables)
perform special task to include guarding the were the first written laws of the Roman Empire.
community against depredation of lawless It deals with legal procedures, property
elements. ownership, building codes, marriage customs and
punishment for crimes. At the reign of Emperor
Ancient Law Enforcement Augustus, he created the Praetorian Guard,
which consisted of about 7000 men\soldiers to
The Sumerians protect the palace and the City of Rome, together
with the Urban Cohorts to patrol the city. He
The earliest record of ancient peoples need to created the so called Vigiles who were assigned
standardize rules and methods of enforcement to as firefighters and eventually given law
control human behavior dates to approximately enforcement responsibilities. As the first civilian
2300 B.C., when the Sumerian rulers Lipithstar police force the Vigiles sometimes kept the peace
and Eshumma set standards on what constituted very ruthlessly, hence the word vigilantes.
an offense against society. Another important event was the time
of JustinianI, ruler of the Eastern Roman
The Babylonians Empire (527 to 265 A.D.) who collected all Roman
laws and put it into his Justinian Code-they
The Code of King Hammurabi (2100 B.C.) –during became known the Corpus Juris Civilis which
the time of Babylonian King Hammurabi, he means Body of Law.
established rules for his kingdom that designated
not only offenses but punishment as well. The The Early PolicingSystem
principle of the code was that the strong shall not
injure the week. Hammurabi originated the legal The policing system is divided into different
principle of LEX Talionis- the eye for an eye, tooth systems namely:
for a tooth doctrine.
The Anglo-Saxon Period
Ancient Egypt
The Anglo-Saxons were influential in developing
The early Egyptians established laws and court the early police forces. The following are the
and a rudimentary rule of law. The first account features of this period:
of a developing court system originated in Egypt
in approximately 1500 B.C. the court system was 1. Tun Policing System- Tun is the forerunner
presided by judges who were appointed by the of the word town. Under this system all male
pharaoh. They later organized marine patrols and residents are required to guard the town and to
customhouses to protect commerce. preserve the peace and control, to protect life and
property from harm or disturbance.
Ancient Greece
2. Hue and Cry – a system of apprehending a
The Greeks had an impressive of law criminal whereby a complaint goes to the middle
enforcement called the Ephori. Each year at of the street and shouts to call all males to
Sparta, a body of Ephors was elected and given assemble. The victim reports his complaint to the
almost unlimited powers as investigator, judge, assembly and gives the whereabouts of the
jury and executioner. These five men also perpetrator. All male residents would then
presided over the senate and assembly, assuring proceed to locate and apprehend the culprit.
When apprehended, trial is conducted giving the
culprit a chance to depend himself. 1. The Statute of 1295- this law prescribed the
closing of the gates of London at sundown. Start
3. The Royal Jude -a person who conducts of curfew systems.
criminal investigation and gives punishment.
Punishment usually fits the crime committed. 2. Justice of the Peace - this was position
which gives a person the power to arrest, pursue
4. Trial by Ordeal- a system of determining guilt and impose imprisonment.
and innocence in the ancient times which was
based on painful test of skills. It is usually 3. The Star Chambercourt - a special court
accompanied by harsh punishment. For instance, which try offenses against the state.
suspects were required to place their hands in
boiling oil or water. When not hurt, it indicated Modern policing System
guilt and the suspect placed under punishment.
This period came to the limelight when a bill
The Normal Period of Policing (1066-1285) creating the Scotland Yard was passed by the
parliament of England. It was sponsored and
1. Shire-Rieve System- England at the time expanded by Sir Robert Pell who was made to
of William Norman, divided England into be the first head of the police organization. He
55military districts known as the Shire- was referred as the Father of Modern Policing
Rieve. Shire was the district, Rieve was the system due to his contributions in the
ruler who makes laws, pass judgment and impose modernization of the police force. The following
punishment. He was assisted by a constable are the principles were considered in organizing
(forerunner of the word constabulary). and administering the Scotland Yard known as
the Peels Principles:
2. The Traveling Judge- one responsible in
passing judgment which was taken from the 1. Stable and effective police force should be
Shire-Rieve inview of some abuses by the Rieves. under government control.

3. Leges Henri -the law of King Henrie I. 2. Absence of crime is the best proof of efficiency.
During this period:
a. offenses were classified as against the king and 3. Fast distribution of new to the people is
individual essential.
b. police men were considered public officials
c. police and the citizens have the broad power 4. Proper distribution of personnel according to
to arrest shift and by hour.
d. a grand jury was created to inquire on the facts
of the law. 5. The best qualification of peace officers is
control of temper.
4. The Magna-Carta- laws were enacted upon
the demand of the Knights of the Round Table 6. Proper selection and training is the basis of
and forced the king to sign the same. Examples efficiency.
of the principles of law include the following:
a. no free men shall be taken or imprisoned, 7. Police cannot function properly without
disposed or outlawed except by legal judgment of wholehearted support of the people.
his peers
b. no person should be tried from murder unless 8. Every police must sell himself to the people.
there is proof the body of the victim
c. Beginning of the national and local government 9. Police officers must go out to their way to help
as well as legislation. or assist the people.

The Westminster Period of Policing (1285- Philippine National Police

1500)
 The Americans failed to subdue the followers of
The Philippine National Police or PNP is the Aguinaldolike Gen. Macario Sakay. Hostilities
national police force of the Republic of the continued in Batangas, Mindoro, Cebu, Boholand
Philippines with a manpower strength of 113,928 Samar. A military solution to the peace and order
as of end-July 2007. It provides law enforcement problem was ruled, hence, the birth of
services through its regional, provincial, the Philippine Constabulary.
municipal, district and local police units all over
the islands. Created by virtue of Republic Act Pacification Campaigns
6975, otherwise known as the “Department of the
Interior and Local Government Act of 1990", the To fight rampant lawlessness, the Philippine
PNP came into being on January 29, 1991, at Constabulary divided the entire country into
Camp Crame, Quezon City, when the Philippine constabulary districts. Banditry was rampant in
Constabulary and the Integrated National Police Southern Luzon. Records referred to the bandits
were retired as mandated by law. as tulisanes. The style of fighting of the early
American Constables and the bandits was “man-
History Early Policing to-man, on foot, and generally by arms and
bolos.”
Organized policing started in 1500s The American foot soldiers had a hard time
when nightmen or bantayans patrolled the repelling the tulisanesin their fight in the
streets of Manila. The nightmenwere under the mountains as their enemies were familiar with the
direction of the alguacilmayor who provided terrain. Malaria and cholera were the diseases
them with muskets as weapons and alarm bells that the afflicted the American troops whenever
as theirmeans of communication. In 1836, the they conducted foot patrol in the hinterlands.
Spanish colonial authorities formed
the Cuadrillo, a rural police force, to enforce The Insular Force
peace in the countryside. Six years later, its
general function wasassumed by the Cuerpo de The Americans are credited for creating
Carabineros deSeguridad Publica. the Philippine Constabulary, the principal
instrument of the civil authorities for the
The Carabineros deSeguridad Publica was maintenance of peace and order. The PC began
organized in 1712 for the purpose of carrying as a small unit—the Insular Force in 1901.
outlaws of the
Spanish government. Native Filipinos served up It was set up by virtue of Organic Act No. 175,
to the rank of sergeant under the command of enacted by the Second Philippine
Spanish officers. It was the earlier version of Commission on July 18, 1901.The
mounted riflemen in the history of the Philippine Constabulary then was composed of six thousand
police system. men led by American officers and former
In 1852, the notoriously dreaded Guardia members of the Spanish Guardia Civil. Under
Civil took over peacekeeping duties in the islands close American direction and control, it
under a Royal Decree. Guardia Civil in the functioned as a military organization.
provinces was composed mainly of Filipinos who Since its formation, the Constabulary had been
worked under the jurisdiction of the alcaldes or primarily discharging police law enforcement and
mayors. They followed military structure and public safety functions. Its officers and men had
received semi-military training yet lacked other served with distinction both in the field of law
dimensions of today’s police service. enforcement and in combating violence and
lawlessness, and in various aspects of public
The capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo, service.
president of the First Philippine Republic, signaled
the start of the American occupation of the There was even a time in history when they
Philippines. Maintaining peace and order, performed the duties of teachers, sanitary
particularly in the countryside, remained the inspectors, midwives, doctors and foresters.
biggest problem of the Americans.
The Philippine Constabulary was mandated as a
civilian organization on March 15, 1945 when it
was placed under the general supervision of the The Postwar Constabulary
Interior then later transferred to the Secretary
of National Defense on March 30, 1950. The county was left in shambles after the Second
World War. Manila was in ruins. Loose firearms
The Secretary of Interior had supervision over and dead bodies littered the streets. This was also
the Constabulary as early as January 13, the period when communist ideology had been
1939 until the outbreak of World War II. As an propagated in the countryside and hard-line
insular police force, the officers of the supporters had been won.
Constabulary carried the civilian title of
“inspector.” Its peacekeeping duty was limited to The Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan or
areas where military rule had been lifted. Hukbalahap became a force to reckon with in
Central Luzon.
The Constabulary at War
The Hukbalahapwas born in Pampanga and
The participation of the Constabulary in the dark was spawned by a feudal land system in the
years of the Second World War began upon province dominated by landlords. Pampanga was
President Roosevelt’s declaration of a state of an “ideal ground” for the agrarian unrest. It
emergency in the United States. Manila prepared achieved legal status during the Japanese
for war. occupation when it merged with the guerilla
forces in fighting the Japanese.
The word had been sent: Japan, the Axis power’s
ally in Asia, would soon attack the Far East. The communist movement, meanwhile,
Filipinos woke up on the morning of December capitalized on the agrarian problems of the
8, 1941 to the news that the Japanese had country to cement its presence. Agrarian unrest
attacked Pearl Harbor. was prevalent in agricultural lands in Luzon as
well as the sprawling haciendas in the south.
The first war casualties of the Constabulary came
from the bombing of Pan-American Airways Luis Taruc became a leader of the HMBs and
installation at San Pedro, Makati in the afternoon founded his own government in Central Luzon. It
of December 8. Six Constables from the was during this turbulent period that the
Headquarters Company were wounded. Philippine Constabulary was reactivated into the
Military Police Command.
The next days and months saw relentless
Japanese bombings on the country’s landmarks, Faced with peace and order problems, the
airfields and naval bases. Military Police Command was suffering from its
own internal crises.
The Death March
The last war had killed many Constables. There
The Japanese had taken Manila but were was a dearth for trained personnel who would be
surprised that no defense forces were waiting to utilized to address the problems.
be captured. The Japanese forces then began the
siege of Bataan, ordering four infantry regiments Constabulary records showed that there were
with artillery and tank support to crush the about 20,000Hukbalahaps in Luzon in 1946. The
American and Filipino soldiers. Military Police Command, on the other hand, had
23,000 informal enlistees.
The Japanese then prepared to transfer the
prisoners and surrendered troops to Camp o’ Reorganization
Donnel in Capas, Tarlac in what has been
known as the “Death March.” Because oftorture On January 1, 1944, the Military Police Command
and starvation, 4,326 prisoners of war died in was dissolved by virtue of Executive Order No.
the infamous march. 94 issued by President Manuel A. Roxas. The
Command’s 12,000 officers and men were
absorbed by the newly reorganized Philippine
Constabulary. The revitalized PC was in charge of To quell the unrest, President Ferdinand Marcos
the country’s peace and order “except those issued Executive Order Number 76 on July
which were purely military in nature.” 14, 1967establishing the PC Metrocom which
became the PC’s striking force as it was
Brig. Gen. Mariano Castañeda became chief authorized to conduct 24/7 patrol in the entire
of the PC and instituted reforms. On June 21, Metro Manila and was tasked to “supplement or
1948, President Elpidio Quirino offered complement local police action in the repression
general amnesty to the Huks. Taruc, who had and prevention of crimes…”
been elected a member of Congress representing
Pampanga, returned to Manila. But Taruc had no Martial Law and the PC
plans to surrender. He only went to Manila to
collect his back salaries and used the money for The Philippine Constabulary took on a pivotal role
his comrades’ operations in Central Luzon. when President Marcos declared Martial Law
on September21, 1972.
President Ramon Magsaysay was credited for
crippling the Huk movement by mobilizing the Marcos mobilized the Constabulary and other
Philippine Constabulary. Magsaysay used the major services of the military to dismantle the
“friendly touch “for winning over the Huks, “unconstitutional opposition” and to prevent
building roads for them and giving them lands. widespread hooliganism and gangsterism.
Convinced that there was a need tore structure
The Rise of the Communist Party of the the social base that bred lawlessness, Marcos
Philippines reorganized the government machinery to effect
his desired changes in the social, economic and
The Philippine Constabulary’s attempt to maintain political structures.
peace and order did not end with the decimation
of the Huks. On March 21, 1974, President Ferdinand E.
Marcos signed Presidential Decree
On December 26, 1968, Jose Maria Sison, a 421 unifying all the police, fire and jail services
Political Science student at the University of the in Metro Manila. The move was significant as it
Philippines, founded the Communist Party of the created an elite force, the Metropolitan Police
Philippines. Force that was placed under the aegis of the
PCMetrocom. The decree was also the first step
The communist ideology spread through a small in fulfilling the constitutional mandate for an
discussion group called Kabataan Makabayan integrated national police force.
organized by Sison and his colleagues in the
middle sixties. Sison then rose to become the The Metropolitan Police Force was tasked to carry
leader of the CPP and organized the military wing out the integration of all police units
of the CPP, the New People’s Army. nationwide. Brigadier General Prospero A.
Olivas, commanding general of the Metrocom,
But the communists suffered a crushing blow on was assigned the task of launching the pilot
January 9,1969 in the hands of the Constabulary project under the supervision of Fidel V. Ramos
who killed the most number of communist leaders and Brigadier General Cicero C. Campos,
in one encounter in Orani, Bataan. deputy Chief for police matters.

The PC Metropolitan Command General Olivas would have the power and
direction over the Metrocom, including tactical,
The upsurge of mass demonstrations and strategic movements, deployments, placements
violence during the latter part of the 60s and the and utilization of the entire force and the training
expansion efforts of the communist movement thereof.
triggered the creation of the PC Metropolitan
Command. On August 8, 1975, Marcos issued
Presidential Decree No.765 establishing the
Integrated National Police with the Philippine
Constabulary as the nucleus and all police officers Officer
as components. Training Officers for the Philippine National Police
are sourced from the Philippine National Academy
They were all placed under the supervision of the as well as through lateral entry, for specialized
Ministry of National Defense. disciplines and requirements such as doctors,
engineers and other technical positions.
The Creation of the Philippine National
Police The Philippine National Police Academy is located
in Silang, Cavite and is the primary training school
The People’s Revolution of 1986 saw the birth of for the PNP.
the 1987 Constitution that included a provision on
the PNP which was to be “national in scope and Recruitment and Training
civilian in character.” The PNP conducts regular recruitment programs,
depending on annual budget allocations.
In 1991, the Philippine National Police was
created with the passage of Republic Act No. The entry level for non-commissioned officers is
6975, otherwise known as the “Department of the the rank of Police Officer 1 or PO1, with a starting
Interior and Local Government Act of 1990.” salary of P14, 265.00 inclusive of allowances.

The principal authors of the Republic Act 6975 The new recruits undergo Police Basic Recruit
were Senators Ernesto N. Maceda and Course for six months and a Field Training
Aquilino Pimentel, Congressmen Jose S. Program for another six months prior to
Cojuangco Jr. and Rodrigo Gutang. deployment to various units.

Upon its signing into law on December 13, 1990, Republic Act No. 6975 Approved: December
the PNP underwent a transitory period; and 13, 1990
on 31 March 1991, President Corazon
Aquino named General Cesar Nazareno as -An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police
the first Director General of the Philippine under a Reorganized Department of the Interior
National Police. and Local Government, and for other purposes.
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP) The
On January 29, 1991, at Camp Crame, Philippine National Police (PNP) has been
Quezon City, the Philippine Constabulary established initially consisting of the following:
and the Integrated National Police were
retired officially and the Philippine National a. Members of the police force who were
Police was born. integrated into the Integrated National Police
(INP)pursuant to PD 765;
Like any new evolving organization, the PNP
suffered from birth pains. To address these b. Officers and enlisted personnel of the
concerns, Republic Act 8551 or the PNP Philippine Constabulary (PC) which include:
Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 was
enacted on February 17, 1998 to amend •Those assigned with the Narcotics Command
certain provisions of Republic Act No. 6975. (NARCOM);

This move was in response to the growing clamor •Those assigned with the Criminal Investigation
to transform the PNP “into a more responsive, Service (CIS);
effective and relevant police organization.”
•Those of the technical services of the AFP
Under this Act, the PNP shall be strengthened and assigned with the PC.
evolved into a highly efficient police force that is
community and service-oriented and fully •Civilian operatives of the CIS.
accountable in the performance of its action.