Manila:The Philippine National Police (PNP) has announced its intention to enforce stricter recruitment standards for aspiring police officers in a bid to maintain the organization's integrity.

According to Philippines News Agency, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. emphasized the importance of eliminating candidates with questionable character at an early stage in the recruitment process. This measure aims to prevent any compromise to the organization's integrity by ensuring that only individuals who can observe and respect the simplest rules and regulations are considered for the police force.

National Police Commission (Napolcom) Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan has previously issued a warning to criminology interns who have violated traffic rules, stating that their applications to the police service would not be processed, and they would be barred from taking entrance examinations. This warning followed reports of interns riding motorcycles without helmets and using unauthorized license plates.

Nartatez highlighted the significance of inputs from netizens and additional information in verifying the backgrounds of applicants. He stressed that discipline and respect for the law must be instilled even before an aspiring police officer enters the service, to ensure that those who enforce the law do not disregard it.

Both Nartatez and Calinisan called on educational institutions offering Criminology courses to ensure their students are prepared not only physically and mentally but also morally to join the police force. Calinisan urged these institutions to filter candidates appropriately and improve their curriculums, emphasizing that nation-building is a collective responsibility.