PNP Chief, “Pulis Nyo Po” Director General Nicanor A Bartolome primed his officers and rank and file personnel for added law enforcement functions as the 143,000-strong PNP is poised to assume election duty as deputies of the COMELEC in next year’s mid-term elections.

“In the next couple of months, we shall be switching to election mode when the election period shall officially commence in January 2013,” Bartolome told police troops as he formally administered the oath of office to some 1,000 Camp Crame-based police personnel who were promoted to the next higher rank.

The Chief PNP earlier approved the promotion of 9,706 police personnel under the Regular Promotion Program for 2012.

Similar ceremonies were held in the 17 Police Regional Offices for 8,704 personnel assigned in the regional offices.

Bartolome said the huge number of promoted police personnel translates to increased 'professional aptitude and proficiency' in the police service.

The newly-promoted PNP personnel include 159 Police Commissioned Officers (PCO) with ranks of Police Inspector to Police Superintendent, and 9,547 Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCO) with ranks of Police Officer 2 to Senior Police Officer 4.

The 9,706 newly-promoted PNP personnel are made up of 37 from the National Headquarters, 965 from the National Support Units, and 8,704 from the Police Regional Offices.

PNP Spokesman, Chief Superintendent Generoso R Cerbo Jr. said the newly-promoted PNCOs will be tapped to assume junior leadership roles to supervise freshly-trained recruits who are expected to be placed on full-duty status upon completion of basic training in time for pre-election security operations in early 2013.

In the succeeding months, a large number of police recruits will graduate from the Police National Training Institute (PNTI) and are expected to report for duty in the Regional Public Safety Battalions (RPSB), Cerbo said.

“The Police Regional Offices are ready to accept these rookie policemen into their ranks, while the National Headquarters is ready to provide them with mission-essential individual equipment, including service sidearms, the PNP Spokesman said. (PNP-PIO)