MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to raise the mandatory retirement age of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel from 56 to 57 years old.

In a media report, it said that House Bill 8702 was approved with 233 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and one abstention during plenary proceedings on Tuesday.

The measure proposes amendments to Section 39 of Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990.

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, one of the authors of the bill, said the proposal is both timely and necessary.

“Increasing the retirement age allows the PNP to maximize the government’s investment in training and professionalizing its officers,” Congressman Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said.

He added that retaining experienced officers for an additional year would strengthen institutional knowledge and operational stability within the police force.

“By retaining experienced personnel for an additional year, the organization benefits from their specialized expertise and institutional knowledge. This continuity is vital for the leadership and stability of law enforcement operations,” he said.

Marcos also said the proposal aligns with Republic Act 11939, enacted in 2023, which raised the compulsory retirement age of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel from 56 to 57.

The House of Representatives House of Representatives of the Philippines approved the bill as part of efforts to update retirement policies for uniformed personnel.