By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Public Safety is in the process of training new cadets who will help fill the vacancies at DPS.
Capt. Pete Leon Guerrero, officer-in-charge of the police academy, said they interviewed 22 applicants last week.
The former Criminal Investigation Bureau chief, Capt. Lawrence Camacho, Lt. Robert Charley of the traffic section and Detective Vince Babauta were among the DPS officials who interviewed the applicants.
The interviews were conducted on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Leon Guerrero said DPS-Saipan has 16 open slots while Rota has eight.
The department, he added, will train a total of 24 cadets.
Camacho, in a separate phone interview yesterday, said the applicants will also undergo drug testing.
He said DPS Commissioner Rebecca Warfield will select the 24 applicants who will undergo a seven-month training at the police academy.
The academy is under the professional training and development office headed by Maj. Edward Manalili.
DPS had been working on the hiring of new cadets since last year and started receiving applications in September last year.
The hiring was set aside until DPS received a “go-signal” from the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget last month.
The Office of Personnel Management certified the applicants and endorsed them for DPS interviews and other examinations.