CEDAW/C/PHI/Q/6/Add.1 However, the LSR and Gender Balance bills are currently not included in the list of certified urgent bills of the government. A number of measures have been identified to further the efforts to increase women’s participation in decision-making positions. The certification of the LSR and Gender Balance bills as urgent bills in the 13th Congress shall be pursued to speed up the enactment of the bills. In this connection, the Mindanao Commission Mindanao, passed a position paper to the Government Islamic Liberation Front (GRP-MILF) panel requesting meaningful participation in decision-making structures Bangsamoro Development Agency should be women). on Women, a women’s NGO based in of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro that women be provided substantive and (e.g. at least 30% of the Board of the 13. The report acknowledges the need for temporary special measures to increase women’s participation, especially in the judiciary, police and military academy (para. 258). Has the Government introduced any temporary special measures in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention, and the Committee’s general recommendation 25, to increase women’s participation in the judiciary, police and military academy? If yes, please elaborate on these measures. ! Women’s Participation in the Philippine National Police The Republic Act No. 8551, an Act Providing for the Reform and Reorganization of the Philippine National Police (PNP) which was signed into law in 1998, provided specific measures to increase women’s participation in the police force. One of the measures is that one (1) out of four (4) Commissioners of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) shall be a woman. Pursuant to this provision, the NAPOLCOM had one (1) female Commissioner from 1999 to 2001, two (2) female Commissioners in 2002 and three (3) Commissioners since 2003 where one also serves as Vice-Chair and Executive Director. Another measure is the prioritization of recruitment and training of women who shall serve in the women’s desks within the next five years and the allocation of 10% of the PNP’s annual recruitment, training, and education for women. According to PNP data, there are about 9,000 women (around 7% of total police strength) in the police force as of April 2006. Also, there is about an average of 759 women who were recruited annually from 1998 to 2005 for positions of Police Officers 1-3, Inspector to Chief Inspector. There has been a woman police general. ! Women’s Participation in the Judiciary As of December 31, 1998 (MCLE data), there were a total of 1,451 judges in the courts of First and Second Level (Municipal and Regional Trial Courts, and Court of Appeals). Of these, 259 (17.85%) were women. As of November 2005, there were 1,495 judges in the said levels. Of this number, 419 (28.03%) were women. In the same data, court personnel totaled 17,820, of which 9,298 (52%) were women in 1998, while in 2005, there were a total of 20,501 personnel, and 11,831 (58%) were women. As of now, there are 15 Justices of the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice. Of these, 5 are women. A number of measures have been initiated to make the Judiciary responsive to women’s or gender needs. The Supreme Court embarked on pursuing a strategic gender-mainstreaming plan for 11