Former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno warned the Philippine National Police against the unauthorized upgrading of certain police officials without the explicit recommendation of the National Police Commission but was ignored by the police leadership.

In a letter dated  19 July 19 2018 obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE, addressed to then Undersecretary Ferdinand Cui Jr. as Acting Head of the Presidential Management Staff, Diokno said that upgrading the ranks of police officials "will alter the organizational setup of the PNP RA (Republic Act) No. 6975 provides for three (3) Deputy Director General ranks only. The subject PNP proposal will increase the same to seven (7)"

"We find no provision in RA Nos. 6975 and 8551 that authorize the President to increase the number of Deputy Director Generals nor to upgrade the ranks of the positions heading the different units of the PNP. It will likewise distort the hierarchical relationship within the PNP leadership in as much as the heads of certain Operational Support Units will be of equal rank to the Deputy Chiefs of the PNP," Diokno said.

Diokno's letter came on the heels of reports that the PNP has been spending a whopping P26.7 billion annually for "unauthorized" excess positions in the organization which, according to the DBM, covers ranks from Lieutenant Generals and below. The rank of Lieutenant General was formerly known as Deputy Director General.

In a letter dated 12 October 2022 and addressed to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos Jr., Director Mary Anne Z. Dela Vega of the Budget Department's Budget and Management Bureau submitted a matrix of PNP rank distribution approved by the DBM covering the 226,410 members of the police force.

But the said DBM-approved rank distribution does not match the actual strength and distribution of ranks implemented by the PNP leadership, contrary to existing laws and regulations.

For one, the following excess positions were noted in the following ranks: Lieutenant General, 5; Major General, 6; Brigadier General, 24; Colonel, 232; Lieutenant Colonel, 910; Major, 1,410; Captain, 1,835; Staff Sergeant, 31,729; and Corporal, 30,052. The total excess positions stand at 66,203 with a combined annual base pay of P26.707 billion.