SA botong 187 pabor, walang tutol at abstention, inaprubahan ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang panukala na naglalayong ayusin ang hanay ng Philippine National Police sa pamamagitan ng pagbuo ng mga dagdag na tanggapan at maglaan ng pondo para rito.

Sa ilalim ng House Bill No. 8327, aamyendahan ang Sections 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 35, 35-A, 36, 67, at 67-A ng Republic Act (RA) No.6975 o “Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990”, na inamyendahan ng RA No.8551 o “Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998”.

“Through these various changes, we aspire to make the PNP more responsive in dealing with its present-day challenges, including internal issues. This will ultimately redound to the benefit of Filipinos, whom the PNP seeks to protect,” saad ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, isa sa pangunahing may-akda ng panukala.

Kasama ni Romualdez bilang may-akda ng panukala sina House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Reps. Sancho Fernando Oaminal, Jorge Bustos, Samier Tan, Shernee Tan-Tambut, Dan Fernandez, Romeo Acop, at Jurdin Jesus Romualdo.

Nakasaad sa panukala na magkakaroon ang PNP Chief ng isang command group na binubuo ng tanggapan ng deputy chief for administration, deputy chief for operations, at chief of the directorial staff.

Bubuo rin ng dagdag na posisyon para sa directorate for personnel and records management; intelligence; operations; logistics; plans; comptrollership; police community relations; investigation; training; education and doctrine development; research and development, at information and communications technology management.

“The Chief of the PNP shall be appointed by the President from among the senior officers down to the rank of Police Brigadier General [,subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments],” saad sa panukala

“The Chief of the PNP shall serve a term of office not to exceed four (4) years, and shall be compulsory retired at the maximum tenure in position herein prescribed, or at age 56, whichever is earlier,” sabi pa sa probisyon ng House Bill

Ang PNP Chief naman ay magkakaroon ng ranggo na police general; ang second in command ay bibigyan naman ng titulo na deputy chief of the PNP for administration, na may ranggo na police lieutenant general; habang ang third in command ang magsisilbing deputy chief of the PNP for operations, at bibigyan din ng ranggo na police lieutenant general.

Nakapaloob din sa panukala ang probisyon para sa pagtatalaga ng Area Police Commands (APC) sa clustered police regional offices, district offices, at city police offices upang mapagibayo ang sakop at pamamahala ng PNP Chief.

“The APC shall orchestrate, supervise, and control the conduct of inter-regional operations against insurgency, terrorism, and other internal security threats. Further, the APC shall likewise conduct search, rescue, and relief operations in times of calamities and other emergency situations within their respective areas of jurisdiction,” sabi sa panukala.

“Finally, the APC shall support the police regional offices in the conduct of inter-regional anti-criminality operations and investigation,” nakapaloob sa dalawampu’t apat na pahinang panukala.

Ang unang limang APCs ay itatalaga sa Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, Eastern Mindanao, at Western Mindanao.