A PROFESSOR at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) said the number of applicants in the academy has doubled amid the hazing issue hounding the military and police learning institutions.
PNPA professor Police Major Benigno Balisi said the issue on hazing has not affected the number of police aspirants in the country.
In Northern Mindanao, there are 1,356 applicants who will take the PNPA Cadet Admission Test in Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS) this Sunday, November 10.
Of the 1,356 examinees, 1,049 applicants are male while 283 are female.
The number could rise as they still accept walk-in applicants on November 9 in the same school.
Balisi said PNPA is doing its best to stop the malpractices inside the organization and assured it has placed strategies to prevent these incidents from happening.
He said the PNPA has adopted the "squad concept" which emphasizes values formation, spiritual development and strengthening family ties among the cadets.
The PNPA also put in place the "Adopt a Cadet" program where families around the academy will serve as foster parents of the cadets.
"The academy is not all suffering, the school is designed by government to mold a leader with knowledge, skills, and character," Balisi said.
Cadet 1st class Abegael Donasco, meanwhile, assured parents nothing will happen to their children once inside the academy.
"Now is the best time for the parents to let their children apply, the PNPA is strict in hazing, we do not tolerate violence. Walang masamang mangyayari sa kanilang mga anak (Nothing bad will happen to their children)," Donasco said.
