The House of Representatives has approved a bill to raise the retirement age of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel from 56 to 57 as a means to maximize the expertise of senior officers in the force.

During its presentation on third and final reading during the House plenary session on Tuesday night, 26 May, the proposed amendment received a total of 233 affirmative votes along with one abstention and no vote against.

Upon its enactment, House Bill (HB) No. 8702 will modify Section 39 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 that establishes the guidelines for various law enforcement agencies like the PNP, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

With the retirement age of policemen raised to 57, it aligns itself with the compulsory retirement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which is the same age.

Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, co-author of the proposed measure, affirmed that the measure was meant to ensure that the resources that the government allocated to train its officers were fully utilized.

Marcos noted that it was also important to consider that such an amendment would also allow for the continuity of leadership in the agency, promoting “stability of law enforcement operations” throughout the country.

“By extending the retirement age, the PNP can leverage the knowledge, training, and field experience of its senior officers. This proposal will strengthen the PNP’s institutional capacity and promote efficiency and continuity of leadership in law enforcement,” the solon said.

Notably, agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) have higher retirement ages with optional retirement provided at 60 while mandatory retirement is set at 65 years old.

Retirement age hard to reach

In spite of the seemingly good intent that the bill had in terms of solidifying law enforcement agencies, a police officer expressed concerns over the amendment citing possible work effectiveness issues when it came to older ages.

Through an exclusive interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE, an officer under the District Traffic Enforcement Unit who identified himself as “Win” stated that even at the age of 56, some officers already faced trouble performing their duty due to different issues in terms of their health.

“Yung 56 nga hirap na yung pulis na manghuli ng criminal eh, yung kahit sa opisina na din, malabo na din ang mata nun. At the age of 40, nararamdaman na nung police yung arthritis, lumalabas na yung [sakit], what more yung 57, magagampanan niya pa ba yung function niya as police officer?” he said.

(At 56, it would already be hard to catch a criminal, it would be difficult to work in the office as well because of poor eyesight. Even at the age of 40, police already feel arthritis, that’s the time that illnesses come out. What more at 57, will they be able to fulfill their function as a police officer?)

Win mentioned that he did not necessarily have an issue with the current retirement age as it was already something that was customary, however, even then he said that some would still opt to go on early retirement rather than working until they reach compulsory retirement.

The officer also said that he himself had no plans of working until he was 56 or 57 and may just settle for the common threshold that was 20 years in service.

According to PNP Memorandum Circular Number 2014-055, officers that render at least 20 years in the service are eligible for optional retirement wherein they are entitled to a monthly pension of 50 percent of their base pay and longevity pay.

Upon retirement, they also have the option to take a lump sum of three years of their annual retirement pay. After the period of their obtained cash advance passes, they would then automatically be switched to the monthly pension.