Legal basis, policy, and purpose
- NAPOLCOM exercises administrative control and operational supervision over the Philippine National Police (PNP) pursuant to Section 14 of Republic Act No. 6975, as amended.
- The Circular declares policy to promote professionalism and fairness by instituting an objective placement system for staff designations in PROs and NSUs.
- The Circular promotes equal access and opportunity for professional growth and career advancement for all qualified PCOs, regardless of source of commission, gender, or affiliation.
- Section 1 requires the Circular’s policies and guidelines to govern selection and placement of PCOs to specified staff positions in the PROs/NSUs and other positions of responsibility.
- Section 3 sets objectives to: improve the placement system through merit- and fairness-based procedures; create equal access; and provide guidelines for fair adjudication of protests, complaints, or grievances arising from implementation.
Key definitions the Circular establishes
- An Administrative Case is a formal inquiry to determine whether a PNP member violated laws, rules, regulations, and policies; it is deemed formally filed and pending upon receipt and entry of the approved pre-charge evaluation report in the official docket of the disciplinary authority until final and executory decision.
- Administrative Duty means designation to positions involving purely clerical, staff, and managerial functions, including assignments to NHQ PNP, National Administrative Support Units, PRO and NSU Headquarters, except operating units, HSS, and other headquarters support units.
- A Career Path or Pattern is the course of progress through a rotation system of assignments in command, staff, technical and training duties to develop well-roundedness and advancement to higher responsibility.
- A Criminal Case is a court proceeding resulting from filing of information or complaint charging a PNP member with an act/omission or special law violation; it is pending upon filing with the court until final and executory decision.
- Field Duty is designation to essential and purely police functions—law enforcement, crime prevention and security operations, intelligence, investigation, training, and police community relations—covering assignments such as police precincts, stations, CPO/PPOs, operating units of PROs, and operating divisions of NSUs.
- Fitness is suitability to hold a particular position based on established criteria.
- Geographical Assignment is the location and/or nature of unit assignment used to evaluate well-roundedness; it is classified as urban or rural and national, regional or local and is not tied only to island grouping.
- Placement is the selection and designation of an officer to a certain position.
- Police Regional Officer’s Placement Board (PROPB) screens and evaluates officers for promotion and/or placement to key positions and other positions of responsibility in the PNP within the PROs.
- National Support Units Officers’ Placement Board (NSUOPB) screens and evaluates officers for promotion and/or placement to key positions and other positions of responsibility in the PNP within the NSUs.
- Physical Profile includes classifications P-1, P-2, P-3, and P-4, with specific fitness limitations for combat duty and police service.
- Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) are active PNP uniformed personnel with rank from Inspector up to Director General.
- Merit refers to qualities deserving recognition or commendation; Seniority Lineal List is a hierarchical listing based on established criteria showing relative seniority by rank; Seniority Range orders seniority by year of commissionship, with a rule treating special promotion ahead of peers as part of the current ranking’s seniority range.
Coverage: who is bound and where
- The Circular applies to all Police Commissioned Officers from the ranks of Police Inspector to Police Senior Superintendent.
- The Circular governs placement into positions of responsibility in the Police Regional Offices as enumerated by rank requirement in the staffing pattern/table of organization.
- The Circular governs placement into positions of responsibility in the National Support Units as listed in Annex “B” by degree of importance.
- The Circular covers selection and designation to specified PRO/NSU staff positions and to Chiefs of Police in city and municipal police stations, including NCRPO stations and Pateros.
- For PRO/NSU staff positions, the Circular defines specific categories in the PROs, including Staff Positions in the PROs and Staff Positions in the NSUs (as Chiefs of Division of different NSUs under Annex “A”).
Governing placement principles and substantive limits
- PNP rank structure governs PRO and NSU staffing determinations, and the head of the placement process fills positions through selection of PCOs from a List of Eligibles, preferably from the locality for PROs.
- Minimum Qualification Standards must be satisfied: all PCOs must possess required experience, education, training, and eligibility under the latest NAPOLCOM Qualification Standards before consideration.
- Interim designations must be confirmed: designations made by Regional Directors of PROs and Directors of NSUs remain interim until confirmed by NAPOLCOM, and no PCO may be designated unless holding the minimum qualification standards for the position rank.
- Seniority Range must be balanced with competencies: candidates must not be too junior or too senior (overqualified), and performance/competencies/qualifications receive more importance.
- One-year-before-retirement rule applies: except for the Chief, PNP, no PNP member with less than one (1) year before compulsory retirement age may be promoted to a higher rank or designated to any position other than the one currently held; any designation/appointment contrary to this is void ab initio and may be contested by interested parties.
- Career ladder for senior officers applies: placement follows the career ladder in the second and third level; an officer who held a position for at least six (6) months is disqualified from holding another position lower than the one previously held.
- Transparency is required: the responsible administrative head must publish soon-to-be vacated positions and the list of eligibles before the PROPB/NSUOPB deliberations; no PCO may be included unless possessing all mandatory requirements; no officer not included may be designated; any violation makes the designation void ab initio and contestable administratively.
- Administrative/field duty balance must be observed: PCOs with a maximum continuous period of two (2) years in field duty are assigned to administrative duty; those with administrative duty for more than two (2) years are projected to field duty.
- Maximum cumulative tour limits govern key PRO/NSU positions:
- PRO/NSU Staff Positions: up to three (3) years
- Chief of Regional NSUs: up to two (2) years
- Chief, RHSSG: up to two (2) years
- Group Director, RMG: up to two (2) years
- Group Director, PMG: up to two (2) years
- Chief of Police: up to six (6) years
- Next-in-line projections must be planned: the candidate pool includes both replacements and next-in-line candidates, and selected next-in-line candidates may undergo short-term management/executive courses or be appointed deputy of the incumbent.
- Designation rules for Chiefs of Police (COPs) require these maximums and restrictions:
- A COP of City/Municipal Police Stations may hold the position up to a maximum cumulative period of six (6) years.
- The COP maximum tour is three (3) years per type of city/municipality; during the first year of incumbency, the COP is not relieved or recalled except for cause, with appropriate administrative disciplinary proceedings.
- As a general rule, COP designation begins initially to Class “C” municipal police stations for at least two (2) years.
- Second term COP designation is from Class “B” to Class “A” municipal police stations or city police stations.
- A PCO designated as COP in a superior class municipality/city police station may not be designated to an inferior class municipality/city police station.
- COPs are not relieved or recalled due to leadership changes by the PNP or local government.
- Pending cases and post-reinstatement duties restrict eligibility: officers with pending non-service-related administrative or criminal cases or serving preventive suspension are not included in the list of eligibles.
- After reinstatement from administrative sanction, an officer must perform minor administrative duties for at least one (1) year before consideration for a certain position.
- Officers reinstated due to exoneration are considered for placement immediately upon reinstatement.
- Secondment, detail, and “floating” status impose a placement sequence: officers on secondment or detail to other government agencies must be assigned to any position for at least one (1) year upon return to mainstream and for those who have not held any position for more than six (6) months, before designation to positions commensurate to rank.
- Staff line officer placement priority applies: the pool of staff line officers receives priority for PRO staff positions in line with their fields of expertise/specialization under competency lists, including functional fields such as personnel administration/HRM, training/education, criminal investigation/detective management, intelligence, operations management, strategic planning/program management, police community and media relations, fiscal management/comptrollership, logistics/supply chain management, and research and development.
Officers Placement Boards and responsible offices
- Section 7 creates the PROPB composed of senior PCOs in PROs, with Deputy Regional Director for Administration as Chairman and Deputy Regional Director for Operation as Vice-Chairman.
- PROPB includes members holding key PRO leadership roles such as Regional Chief Directorial Staff, chiefs of RPHRDD, RID, ROPD, RLD, RDC, RPCRD, RIDMD, and a Policewoman Representative, plus the Chief, Placement Section as Head, Secretariat.
- The Circular creates the NSUOPB composed of senior PCOs in NSUs, with Deputy Director as Chairman and Chief of Staff as Vice-Chairman.
- NSUOPB includes division chiefs, the Chief, Administrative Division as Member/Head Secretariat, and a Policewoman Representative.
- Section 10 assigns duties and responsibilities:
- RPHRDD/Administrative Division acts as Head, Secretariat; consolidates evaluation ratings; serves as OPR for Seniority and Awards/Recognition/Fitness; serves as OPR for Command/Leadership/Managerial Competence; prepares the List of Eligibles; issues and implements orders for relief and designation; and performs other directed tasks.
- ROPD evaluates candidates’ well-roundedness based on Field and Administrative Duty.
- RID evaluates candidates’ reputation based on Derogatory Records (DR), Counter Intelligence (CI), and Counter Background Investigation (CBI).
- RIDMD prepares and consolidates reports of administrative and criminal cases of officers projected to key positions and other positions of responsibility, if any.
Mandatory requirements for PRO/NSU positions
- For PRO/NSU Staff Positions: candidates must have the rank of Police Senior Superintendent, at least one (1) year experience as Deputy Chief of Division of NHG Directorial Staff/PROs/NSUs or as COP with at least one more year before reaching the maximum tenure, or as Chief, PPO Division, plus at least one (1) year for PSUPTs occupying PSSUPT positions, and other mandatory requirements under existing laws and issuances.
- For Group Directors of Regional Mobile Groups: candidates must be Police Senior Superintendent, have at least one (1) year experience as Group Director of Provincial Mobile Groups, COPs of City Police Stations, or Deputy Chief of PRO Staff Positions, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Regional National Support Units: candidates must be Police Senior Superintendent, have at least one (1) year experience as Division Chiefs of NSUs, Assistance Regional Chiefs of NSUs, Provincial Chiefs of NSUs, or Deputy Division Chiefs of NSUs, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Group Director, PPMG: candidates must be Police Superintendent in permanent status, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy of PPMG, COP of Class “A” Municipal Police Stations, or Section Chiefs of PRO Divisions, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Police of NCRPO City Police Stations (including COP of Pateros): candidates must be Police Senior Superintendent, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy Chief of Division of NHQ Directorial Staff/PROs/NSUs or as COP with at least one more year before reaching maximum tenure, or as Deputy Chief of P/CPOs, and have PSUPTs occupying PSSUPT positions for at least one (1) year, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Police of City Police Stations: candidates must be Police Superintendent in permanent status, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy COP of City Police Stations, COP of Class “A” and “B” Municipal Police Stations, or Section Chiefs of PRO Divisions, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Police of Class “A” Municipal Police Stations: candidates must be Police Superintendent in permanent status, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy Group Director of PPMG, Deputy Chief of City Police Stations, Deputy Chief of Class “A” Municipal Police Stations, or COP of Class “B” and “C” Municipal Police Stations, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Police of Class “B” Municipal Police Stations: candidates must be Police Chief Inspector in permanent status, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy COP of Class “A” Municipal Police Stations, COP of Class “C” Municipal Police Stations, or Deputy PPMG, plus other mandatory requirements.
- For Chiefs of Police of Class “C” Municipal Police Stations: candidates must be Police Senior Inspector in permanent status, have at least one (1) year experience as Deputy COP of Class “C” Municipal Police Stations, Action Officer of RHQ/PPO, Staff Officer of RMG/PMG, or Station/Precinct Commanders of City Police Stations, plus other mandatory requirements.
Rating system and evaluation criteria
- The rating system guides objectivity in evaluating merit and fitness for selection and placement.
- Seniority is weighted at 10%, computed from the current Seniority Lineal List and a TIG-based approach; the most senior in terms of TIG receives ten (10%) percent and others receive 1% less per full year difference in TIG.
- Command and leadership competence is weighted at 20%, where relevant education/training to the position earns maximum points while lack of related education/training results in 5% deduction, with recognition for outstanding achievements in required courses/training.
- Field and administrative duty experience is weighted at 20%, assessing well-roundedness by balancing administrative capacity assignments and field units involved in essential police functions; absence of any field or administrative assignment results in 5% deduction.
- Geographical assignment is weighted at 15%, assessed by urban/rural environment and national/regional/local unit experience; no urban/rural assignment results in an automatic three (3%) percent deduction; no national/regional/local assignment results in three (3%) percent deduction each.
- Service reputation is weighted at 20% and is based on available records and feedback from former chiefs, supervisors, directors, peers, and superiors.
- Awards, recognition and fitness is weighted at 15%, considering awards in PNP/Unit/Office Annual Awards (Best PCO), accomplishments in assigned tasks or missions, and fitness to cope with job rigors.
Complaints, grievances, and implementation
- Section 11 requires the PROPB/NSUOPB to entertain complaints and grievances related to the promotion and placement system within fifteen (15) days from the publication of the order.
- Complaints and grievances must be submitted in writing and under oath.
- The Board must resolve complaints and grievances expeditiously from receipt.
- Officers adversely affected by the Circular who are currently holding positions may complete their tour of duty unless sooner relieved by competent authority.
- Once relieved, adversely affected officers must satisfy the mandatory requirements before being considered again for placement.
Transitory provisions, repeals, and effective filing
- A two-month information campaign must disseminate the Circular’s provisions, and during that period all senior officers not holding third level positions must receive appropriate designations.
- Implementation begins after the two-month information campaign, when the PROPB/NSUOPB starts applying the Circular’s provisions.
- The Circular rescinds all existing NAPOLCOM and PNP policies and issuances inconsistent with it (Section 13).
- The effectivity is governed by filing with the University of the Philippine Law Center and the 15-day rule under Executive Order No. 292 (Section 14).