Calinisan wants stronger Napolcom

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February 8, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The National Police Commission is batting for a law and more resources to strengthen Napolcom’s investigative capabilities and further empower the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB).

Rafael Calinisan, Napolcom executive officer, said a stronger police commission is necessary to serve as a check-and-balance mechanism amid the “spate of incidents” involving abusive cops.

“We need to strengthen our investigation and legal services. We don’t have many people, resources and even proper offices in the regions,” Calinisan told The STAR on Friday in a sit-down interview.

In the 2026 budget, Napolcom received P2.47 billion in funding, which is marginally higher than the P2.46 billion it received the previous year.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 mandated Napolcom to exercise administrative control over the Philippine National Police, which currently has over 232,000 personnel.

While Napolcom can initiate the investigation of cases, administrative complaints against cops often start at the PLEB.

Calinisan, who served as executive officer of the PLEB in Quezon City from July 2020 to November 2024, admitted that not all local government units have functioning boards due to funding constraints.

He urged the DILG to include a working PLEB as one of the requirements for localities to be qualified for the Seal of Good Local Governance.

Calinisan said the Napolcom still has no central database for the cases decided by the PLEBs.

“So, if you ask what we need, Napolcom needs support through information technology and support through funding,” he added.