Integrated National Police

Integrated National Police
PC-INP Headquarters and Heraldry Department · Public domain · source
Name	Integrated National Police
Formation	1975
Preceding1	Philippine Constabulary
Preceding2	Manila Police Department
Dissolved	1991
Superseding	Philippine National Police
Jurisdiction	Philippines
Headquarters	Quezon City
Chief1 name	Fidel V. Ramos
Chief1 position	President (during merger)
Parent agency	Armed Forces of the Philippines

Integrated National Police

The Integrated National Police was a nationalized law enforcement body in the Philippines formed by the merger of municipal, city, and provincial police forces with the national paramilitary Philippine Constabulary during the Marcos era. It operated amid events such as Martial law in the Philippines, the People Power Revolution, and tensions involving groups like the New People's Army and the Moro National Liberation Front. The force remained a central actor in public order, counterinsurgency, and urban policing until reforms under the post-Marcos administrations led to its reorganization into the Philippine National Police.

History

The concept of an integrated police force traces to earlier reforms in the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the American colonial period when institutions such as the Philippine Constabulary and municipal policing were formalized after the Philippine–American War. In 1975, Presidential Decree No. 765 and related proclamations under Ferdinand Marcos consolidated local police units with the Philippine Constabulary to form the Integrated National Police, aligning civil policing with the Armed Forces of the Philippines amid internal security campaigns against the Communist Party of the Philippines and insurgent fronts. During the 1980s, the INP was implicated in responses to the Benigno Aquino Jr. assassination and civil disturbances leading up to the 1986 People Power Revolution, after which the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and subsequent legislation restructured police functions, culminating in the creation of the Philippine National Police under the Republic Act No. 6975 and later amendments.

Organization and Structure

The INP's chain of command fused local chief executives' responsibilities with military-style hierarchies drawn from the Philippine Constabulary. Regional commands mirrored Armed Forces of the Philippines regional structures and coordinated with provincial governors and mayors in Manila, Cebu City, Davao City, and other urban centers. Units included metropolitan police districts, municipal police stations, and specialized divisions for criminal investigation, intelligence, and public order, collaborating with agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Department of National Defense. Commanders often held dual status as officers of both the INP and the Philippine Constabulary or were detailed from military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame.

Roles and Functions

The INP performed municipal policing, traffic control, criminal investigation, crowd management, and counterinsurgency operations against groups like the New People's Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It executed executive orders related to public order during episodes such as Proclamation No. 1081 and collaborated with military campaigns like Operation Thunderbolt in urban environments. Other functions involved escort duties for dignitaries from institutions like the Supreme Court of the Philippines and coordination with international partners including United States Armed Forces advisers in bilateral security arrangements. The INP also served in disaster response during typhoons affecting Leyte and Mindanao and in law enforcement support for elections administered by the Commission on Elections (Philippines).

Training and Recruitment

Recruitment into the INP drew from constabulary ranks, municipal police applicants, and cadets trained at academies such as the Philippine Military Academy and police training centers influenced by curricula from the National Police Commission (Philippines), later formalized under successor reforms. Training emphasized crowd control, criminal investigation techniques, firearms proficiency with weapons like the M16 rifle and 9×19mm Parabellum, and intelligence operations countering insurgent tactics. Exchanges and training programs involved foreign partners including the United States and regional contacts in ASEAN members, while internal courses addressed community relations in cities like Zamboanga City, Baguio, and Iloilo City.

Equipment and Uniforms

Standard-issue equipment reflected the INP’s paramilitary integration, with small arms such as the M14 rifle, M16 rifle, sidearms like the SIG Sauer P220 and local variants, and riot control gear used during demonstrations around Rizal Park and provincial plazas. Vehicles ranged from patrol cars in Manila to armored personnel carriers employed in counterinsurgency operations, and communications equipment interoperable with Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy assets. Uniforms combined police insignia with military-style dress derived from constabulary heritage; rank insignia corresponded to standards recognized by institutions such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Controversies and Criticism

The INP attracted criticism for alleged human rights violations during Martial law in the Philippines, including reports by organizations such as Amnesty International and domestic advocacy groups linked to the Cory Aquino transition. High-profile incidents, contested arrests, and enforcement of curfews during states of emergency provoked scrutiny from the Commission on Human Rights (Philippines) and congressional inquiries in the Batasang Pambansa. Critics cited militarization of policing, lack of civilian oversight, and politicization connected to administrations including that of Ferdinand Marcos, leading to reforms codified in Republic Act No. 6975 and the eventual establishment of the Philippine National Police to separate civilian law enforcement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Category:Law enforcement in the Philippines Category:Defunct police agencies