Press Release
July 2, 2008

Loren proposes charter for public safety college

Senator Loren Legarda has filed a bill seeking to give the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) a charter to provide a more comprehensive education and training for all uniformed police, fire and jail management personnel.

In filing Senate Bill 2415, Legarda said that a charter will give the PPSC expanded powers, fiscal autonomy, flexibility and authority to better pursue its mandate as an education and training institution for public safety services.

"Through this measure, we envision policemen, firemen and jail guards, our dedicated public servants, to be more competent, professional and responsive to their calling," she said.

The senator said the need to elevate the quality of PPSC as a learning and training institution was underscored by a 2005 study conducted by the government under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program.

Entitled "Transforming the Philippine National Police to a More Capable, Effective and Credible Police Force," the study recommended an overhaul of the human resources and management of the police force.

It cited the importance of reengineering the institutional framework of police education and training, while strengthening the capacities and organization of the PPSC.

The PPSC was created pursuant to Section 66 of Republic Act 6975.

In Legarda's bill, the PPSC system shall be composed of the present Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Fire National Training Institute (FNTI), Jail National Training Institute (JNTI), Police National Training Institute (PNTI), National Police College, National Forensic Science Training Institute and other institutes or special training centers that may be created by the board of trustees.

The PPSC board of trustees shall be composed of the chair of the Commission on Higher Education, as ex-officio chair; Local Government secretary, as ex-officio co-chair; PPSC president, as vice chairperson.

To seat as ex-officio members are the chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture; chair of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education; director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development; regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority; PNP chief; BFP chief; BJMP chief; president of the PPSC alumni association; president of the federation of faculty associations of the PPSC; president of the graduating class of the bachelor of science degree program; and a prominent citizen from the private sector.

Under Legarda's bill, the PPSC shall provide a scholarship program, and no student will be denied admission to the college by reason of sex, religion, cultural or community affiliation or ethnic origin.

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