Mandating Annual Psychiatric, Psychological Drug and Physical Tests for Police Officers

Senate Offee of the Borercare TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 AUG 11 P3:07 First Regular Session ) SENATE RECEIVED BY: S.B. No. 1170 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT MANDATING ANNUAL PSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL DRUG AND PHYSICAL TESTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6975, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Article II, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution affirms that "the prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people". This is in line with the Latin maxim "salus populi est suprema lex"or the welfare of the people is considered as the supreme law of the land. On December 13, 1990, Republic Act No. 6975, otherwise known as the "Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990", was enacted. This law aimed to promote peace and order, ensure public safety, and strengthen local government capabilities. It sought to enhance the delivery of basic services to the public through the establishment of a highly efficient and competent police force - national in scope and civilian in character. To further improve and reform the Philippine police system, Republic Act No. 6975 was amended by Republic Act No. 8551, otherwise known as the "Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998". This amendment reaffirmed the crucial role of the Philippine National Police (PNP) within the community, emphasizing its nature as a service-oriented agency committed to the maintenance of peace and order and the protection of public safety. On 20 December 2020, a video of a police officer firing his gun at point-blank range against two defenseless civilians, thereby instantly killing them, spread throughout various social media platforms and shocked the entire country. The police officer in the video was later on identified as Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, a police officer who was off-duty at the time the incident took place, and with at least six

(6) administrative cases prior to the said incident, two (2) of which involved grave misconduct involving homicide. In addition, on 31 May 2021, a drunken, off-duty police officer fatally shot Lilybeth Valdez, a 52-year-old mother, in Greater Fairview, Quezon City. The police identified the suspect as Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan of the Police Security and Protection Group. According to reports, the killing stemmed from a heated argument between Zinampan and Valdez' son. In addition, news articles reported that police officers from Bayambang Municipal Police Station allegedly harassed Ms. Merly Gallardo, an onion farmer, who testified in a Senate probe on soaring onion prices last 16 January 2023. Then Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. already ordered the agency's regional and provincial offices to look into the reported police harassment. On August 2023, six policemen faced criminal investigation over the fatal shooting of a teenager whom they had mistaken for a murder suspect. It was a "lapse in judgment" for the policemen to shoot him, given the 17-year-old was unarmed, conceded authorities. "They cannot invoke self-defence. They were unable to prove that the victim resisted arrest," Navotas city police chief Col Allan Umipig told local television. On 05 December 2024, the local police in Baguio City dug up the dismembered body of Police Executive Sergeant Emmanuel Ballos de Asis. The remains were found in a vacant lot in the family home of PNP officer, Lt. Col. Rhoderick Pascua. Taguig City police probers said Pascua had given an extrajudicial confession, admitting that he shot De Asis dead in front of his wife Police Executive Master Sgt. Rosemarie Pascua. Pascua had walked into his wife and De Asis "engaged in intimate relations" in the living room of the Pascua couple's home in Bicutan, Taguig. Pascua reportedly ordered Rosemarie to get a hacksaw, which he used to dismember De Asis. Pascua placed the remains in a rice bag, which he loaded into his Ford Ranger and transported to Baguio for disposal. Further, according to a news article dated 05 July 2025, Secretary of Justice Crispin Remulla stated that 15 police officers are under investigation for their alleged involvement in the killing of at least 34 cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros. These, together with several other police-related crimes in the recent years, caused fear, shock, and anger among the populace, besmirching the image of the PNP as the protector of the people.

Although these incidents may be viewed as isolated cases involving individual police officers, they highlight a significant concern regarding the adequacy of current PNP procedures in ensuring the psychiatric and psychological fitness of its personnel. Republic Act No. 6975, as amended, mandates the regular conduct of psychiatric, psychological, drug, and physical examinations for police officers. However, in practice, these assessments are typically carried out only during recruitment, promotion, or upon the directive of a superior officer. To address this deficiency and promote the overall mental health and well-being of police personnel, this bill seeks to require annual psychiatric, psychological, drug, and physical examinations. It also mandates participation in stress debriefing programs, particularly for officers whose duties regularly expose them to traumatic events. In view of the forgoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. IMEE R. MARCOST

Senate Othee of the Beerctory TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 AUG 11 P3:07 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S.B. No. 1170 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT MANDATING ANNUAL PSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL DRUG AND PHYSICAL TESTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6975, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1, Section 30 of Republic Act No. 6975, as amended, is hereby

further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 30. General Qualifications for Appointment. - No person shall be appointed as officer or member of the PNP unless he or she possesses the following minimum qualifications: (a) A citizen of the Philippines; (b) A person of good moral conduct; (c) Must have passed the psychiatric/psychological, drug and physical tests to be administered by the PNP or by any NAPOLCOM accredited government hospital for the purpose of determining physical and mental health; (d) Must possess a formal baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution of learning; (e) Must be eligible in accordance with the standards set by the Commission; (f) Must not have been dishonorably discharged from military employment or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the Government; (g) Must not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude;

(h) Must be at least one meter and sixty-two centimeters (1.62 m.) in height for male and one meter and fifty-seven centimeters (1.57 m.) for female; (i) Must weigh not more or less than five kilograms (5 kgs.) from the standard weight corresponding to his or her height, age, and sex; (i) For a new applicant, must not be less than twenty-one (21) nor more than thirty (30) years of age: except for the last qualification, the above- enumerated qualifications shall be continuing in character and an absence of any one of them at any given time shall be a ground for separation or retirement from the service: Provided, That PNP members who are already in the service upon the effectivity of this Act shall be given at least two (2) more years to obtain the minimum educational qualification and one (1) year to satisfy the weight requirement. For the purpose of determining compliance with the requirements on physical and mental health, as well as the non-use of prohibited drugs, the PNP by itself or through a NAPOLCOM accredited government hospital shall conduct [regular] ANNUAL psychiatric, psychological drug and physical tests [randomly and] without notice. PROVIDED, THAT, PNP OFFICERS AND MEMBERS WHOSE OPERATIONAL WORK EXPOSE THEM TO TRAUMATIC SITUATIONS SHOULD, AFTER SUCH OPERATIONS, BE SUBJECTED TO STRESS DEBRIEFING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS." XXX

SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,

presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,