Duterte eyes reactivation of PC to combat urban terrorism

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said that he was planning to bring reactivate the Philippine Constabulary, the military's national police force before the Philippine National Police was created by law in 1991.

“Gusto kong ibalik iyan sa ano, ibalik ko yang Philippine Constabulary. Iyang pulis na iyan diyan na kayo kung saan kayo. But I will return the Philippine Constabulary,” Duterte said before the 10th Infantry Division in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

“E di four commands: Army tapos Philippine Constabulary. Kasi kailangan ko ng tao doon sa urban terrorism like the SAF [Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces]; iyong mga bata,” the President explained.

In operation from 1901 to 1991, the PC was one of the four major commands under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) before the PNP law was enacted in 1991.

The three others still in existence are the Army, Navy and Air Force.

According to the Center for Police Strategy Management, the PC became a major command of the AFP by virtue of Executive Order No. 389 in 1951.

In 1975, it was merged with local and municipal police units to become the PC-Integrated National Police through Presidential Decree No. 765 issued on August 8, 1975.

The elite SAF was formed while the PC-INP was in existence.

With the enactment of the 1987 Constitution, another change was needed as the Charter provided for a police force, which is "national in scope and civilian in character".

Thus, the PNP took over from the PC-INP on January 29, 1991 through Republic Act No. 6975.

Duterte in his many speeches warned that terrorism will be the next threat that the law enforcers would take on. —NB, GMA News