CAMP TOLENTINO – Bataan Governor Albert Raymond “Abet” S. Garcia and Vice Governor Ma. Cristina “Cris” Garcia this morning joined the officials of the Bataan Provincial Police Office headed by Senior Supt. and Atty. Benjamin “Benjie” Silo Jr. in the 116th police anniversary celebration at the covered court of this Camp here in Balanga City, Bataan.
The celebration ran under the theme: “Buhay ng Pulis handang ibuwis para sa katahimikan at kaayusan ng bayan” with Vice Gov. Garcia as the guest of honor and speaker.
Metro Bataan Development Authority General Manager and Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Convenor Chairman Charlie Pizarro Jr. along with village chiefs from drug-cleared barangays, chiefs of police and group leaders, and other stakeholders were also present.
Meanwhile, highlighting the celebration, Governor Garcia led the distribution of the certificates of recognition to village chiefs of 16 Barangays (villages) cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and are now tagged as “drug-free barangays.”
Governor Garcia gave P20,000 to barangay officials and police officers in drug-free declared villages.
Certificates of recognitions were also given to chosen police officers, police stations and other individual awards.
The PNP celebrates Police Service Anniversary annually every 8th of August to commemorate the founding anniversaries of its forerunner organizations–the Philippine Constabulary, established in August 8, 1901 and the Integrated National Police activated on August 8, 1975.
Published accounts stated that the Philippine National Police and Policing in the Philippines began on June 23, 1898 when the Department of Police and Internal Order was established by the Constitution of the Revolutionary Government under General Emilio Aguinaldo. This paved the way for the earliest accounts of Policing in the Philippines which can be traced back to the organization of the Insular Constabulary established on August 8, 1901 which was created by Commission Act No. 175 with Capt. Henry T. Allen as its first Chief. The Insular Constabulary became the forerunner of National Policing in the Philippines.
After the world famous People Power Revolution in 1986 (EDSA 1), a new Constitution was promulgated providing for a police force, which is “national in scope and civilian in character”.
On January 29, 1991, Republic Act No. 6975 entitled, “An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police Under a Reorganized Department of the Interior and Local Government, and For Other Purposes”, mandated the abolition of the PC/INP and the creation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the members of the PC/INP as its nucleus and the absorption of selected members from the major service units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines like the Philippine Air Force Security Command (PAFSECOM), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy (PN), and the Philippine Army (PA), to be the national police force.
