From SPO1 to sergeant: New law gives military rank names to police

Pia Ranada

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From SPO1 to sergeant: New law gives military rank names to police
The new naming convention means cops will be referred to as police generals, colonels, captains, or sergeants. President Rodrigo Duterte had said the previous naming convention was confusing.

MANILA, Philippines – A law just signed by President Rodrigo Duterte changes the naming convention for the Philippine National Police, giving cops military rank names.

Republic Act No. 11200 was signed by Duterte on Wednesday, February 20. It amends the section of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 which refers to the ranking classification of police.

The new naming convention means PNP personnel will no longer be referred to using ranks like “special police officer” (SPO) or “chief superintendent.” Instead, their rank classifications will have military terms like “sergeant” and “colonel.”

According to the law, this change will help in providing “clarity of command responsibility” and will contribute to “effective and efficient administration, supervision, and control.”

Below are the old names and new names for cops:

  • director general to police general
  • deputy director general to police lieutenant general
  • director to police major general
  • chief superintendent to police brigadier general
  • senior superintendent to police colonel
  • superintendent to police lieutenant colonel
  • chief inspector to police major
  • senior inspector to police captain

For non-commissioned police, the name changes are as follows:

  • senior police officer IV to police master sergeant
  • senior police officer III to police technical sergeant
  • senior police officer II to police staff sergeant
  • senior police officer I to police sergeant
  • police officer III to police corporal
  • police officer II to patrolman first class
  • police officer I to patrolman

Duterte had often complained in many speeches about the PNP naming convention using “SPO,” saying it was confusing.

But even before this law moved forward in Congress, cops have been using military ranks colloquially when addressing each other.

Veteran cops, for instance, aspire to be called “generals” and not “chief superintendents,” the rank that, in military naming convention, would be the first to have “general.”

PNP Academy graduates are also often referred to as “teniente,” the Spanish word for “lieutenant.” – Rappler.com

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Pia Ranada

Pia Ranada is Rappler’s Community Lead, in charge of linking our journalism with communities for impact.