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.

theb3327In December 1902, the Insular Constabulary was renamed as the Philippine Constabulary. Since then, the national police have undergone several organizational changes and transformation to cope with the demands of the times and the needs of the country. In 1950, the Philippine Constabulary became a Major Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by virtue of Executive Order No. 389.

To address the need for integrating the peace and order and anti-criminality efforts of the diverse and fragmented local or municipal police units into the national peace and development program, the Philippine Constabulary (PC) and Integrated National Police (INP) were merged into a new organization, the Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police (PC/INP) by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 765 issued on August 8, 1975.

coryAfter the 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.

To further strengthen the PNP to become a highly efficient and competent police force that is community service-oriented and accountable in the performance of its functions, Republic Act No. 8551 known as the “PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998” was enacted on February 17, 1998, amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 6975 and allowed the reorganization of the PNP to effectively perform its mandate -to enforce the law, prevent and control crimes, maintain peace and order, and ensure public safety and internal security with the active support of the community.