Napolcom nears ‘zero backlog,’ says Calinisan

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) is set to declare the total resolution of its case backlog by the end of the year, clearing a bottleneck of administrative cases that spanned more than 25 years.

Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan, who is also Napolcom’s vice chairperson and executive officer, announced Sunday that the agency is on track to achieve “zero backlog” by Tuesday.

The clearing of decades of pending cases against police officers was Calinisan’s first directive upon taking office in April.

“This was my first marching order, and today we can confidently say, we delivered,” Calinisan said in a statement. “We finished a 25-year case backlog, something many thought was impossible.”

Commission officials said the milestone was achieved through nationwide institutional reforms aimed at increasing efficiency and accountability.

Calinisan said the move is intended to boost the morale of the police force while ensuring fairness for the public.

In a separate statement Sunday, the commission condemned an armed encounter in Quezon province that left one police officer dead and three others wounded.

The attack occurred Friday in Barangay San Isidro, Candelaria, when unidentified assailants fired upon the officers. Napolcom was called for the immediate arrest of the suspects and said it is coordinating with the Philippine National Police to ensure a thorough investigation.

“Attacks against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” the commission said, vowing that justice would be served.