Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla III has recommended to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a reduction in the number of generals in the Philippine National Police (PNP) as part of his plan to reform the organization.

“I think we have 133 generals; I’d like to whittle it down to 25 to flatten the organization,” he said.

Remulla said there are police generals that do not have a command or personnel serving under them.

“There are a lot of generals now without commands. If you look at it, we have APCs, Area Police Commands, that do not have personnel under them so we have areas with redundancies that we have to trim down,” he said.

Remulla clarified that some of the generals who will not make the cut will not be demoted and instead be encouraged to take an early retirement.

He pointed out that under the PNP law and Civil Service rules, promotions occur every three years for qualified officers.

To slow down career advancements for the PNP, Remulla suggested a timeline of five years. 

“If you look at the structure, I think there are 133, if I’m not mistaken, many [of them are] provincial directors, after two years of service, they are full colonels. They are not yet eligible to be promoted, they are floating after two years. So there are things that we have to change so that they are more efficient,” he said.

“We want to change a lot of that, to make it five years so that the promotion of those is slower — because it’s becoming top-heavy,” he added.

Demoralization in ranks?

When asked if this move would demoralize the police force, Remulla said the likelihood was slim.

“I don’t think so. They’re also soldiers, they follow orders and we’ll see,” he added.

He said that while this is his priority in the DILG, it is still a recommendation pending the approval of the President.

The DILG is working with the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration on a study on how to implement police reforms.

Remulla took the helm of the DILG on 9 October. One of his marching orders from the President was to make recommendations on reforming the PNP.

PNP chief calls for reforms

Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil called on lawmakers to amend Republic Act 6975, the law that established the PNP, to address what he saw as organizational flaws.

Marbil emphasized the need for a “flatter, more streamlined structure” within the PNP to facilitate quicker decision-making especially during emergencies, enhance accountability, and improve communication across all ranks.

“The current hierarchical system often hinders prompt decision-making in critical situations,” Marbil noted.

He said that decentralizing the PNP would minimize delays and boost operational efficiency by empowering lower ranking officers to make localized decisions.

“This structure fosters leadership and initiative at all levels, inspiring creativity and innovation to address the country’s security challenges,” Marbil explained.

“The world is changing rapidly, and the PNP must adapt accordingly,” he added.

In July, President Marcos vetoed a proposed measure for PNP organizational reforms, saying the provisions conflicted with administrative policy and efficiency.