Bacolod City - some 246 police trainees in Western Visayas completed the six-month Public Safety Basic Recruit Course recently, signaling the start of their career in the Philippine National Police.

Brig. Gen. Rolando Miranda, director of Police Regional Office-Western Visayas, lauded the recruits for hurdling the training and wished them well as they begin to venture into the police world.

"Now is the start of how you can apply what you have learned in the Regional Training Center. The PSBRC is a foundation course of every police officer," Miranda, the guest of honor and speaker during the graduation rites held at the RTC-6 in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, told the graduates composed of 203 males and 43 females.

The recruits were declared graduates by Col. Giovanni Musico, training director of RTC-6.

The six-month basic training, that started on Nov. 9, comprised a 960-instructional hour program designed to provide the newly-appointed police non-commissioned officers with basic knowledge and skills in police science, administration, combat operations, and tactics.

It prepares the recruits to become "guardians of peace and protectors of lives and properties by inculcating the right conduct and values required in the performance of their jobs".

The 246 graduates were recruited in October last year. Some 43 of them took oaths as part of Class 2020 "Pinili" while 203 are under Class 2020 "Maharlika".

After graduation, the graduates will undergo a 10-day orientation before proceeding to the six-month Public Safety Field Training Program.

It involves actual experience and assignment in patrol, traffic, and investigation works by all members of the PNP as a requirement for the permanency of their appointment.

Meanwhile, PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, is urging police officials to look out for manifestations of emotional or mental problems among personnel and to address these immediately.

In a press conference yesterday, Eleazar said personnel may be subjected to a psychiatric-psychological examination (PPE) upon showing signs of emotional or mental problems.

"Neuro-psychiatric tests are required for applicants and for police for their promotion or schooling. But at any given time, based on our policy, if any personnel based on observation is mentally or emotionally challenged, they should be reported and undergo the test," he said.

Eleazar said their Health Service Office is finalizing the recommendations of PPE as he considers the test at least every three years as part of efforts to further improve the general welfare of PNP members.

This after an incident involving Master Sgt. Reynante Dipasupil, who got drunk and ran amuck, and eventually killed one of his colleagues and injured another.

"There is a need for the monitoring of commanders and squad leaders because they know well the personnel and for them to immediately report so that we could apply intervention," he said.

Dipasupil's case came less than a month after another drunk policeman fatally shot at point-blank a woman in Fairview, Quezon City.

In December last year, a Parañaque cop gunned down his two neighbors in Tarlac after complaining about being noisy.
(Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), with additional news, photo courtesy of TVDS | Philippine News Agency)