By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is tightening vetting procedures for police applicants amid growing concerns over espionage threats and possible attempts by foreign actors to infiltrate security institutions.
In a statement Thursday, PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the recruitment process will include deeper background checks and expanded screening of applicants.
“We are enhancing our vetting process to include deeper background checks to make sure that the PNP gets the best and trusted future police officers among the applicants,” he said.
The enhanced measures aim to reassure the public that the police force remains vigilant against attempts to compromise national security.
Nartatez said the PNP will also intensify counter-intelligence efforts within the organization.
“We have established a confidential reporting mechanism for our personnel to report any suspicious recruitment attempts within our ranks,” he said.
The PNP has 6,178 available positions for new recruits in 2026 under regular and attrition quotas for Police Regional Offices and National Support Units.
Of the total vacancies, 1,700 are under the regular quota while 4,478 fall under the attrition quota.
The regions with the most openings are the National Capital Region Police Office with 783 slots, followed by CALABARZON with 609, Central Luzon with 575, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 367, and the Bicol Region with 359.
A total of 946 vacancies are allotted to National Support Units, including 300 regular and 646 attrition positions.
Key units with openings include the Aviation Security Group, PNP Maritime Group, PNP Special Action Force, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. (PNA)
