SUPERINTENDENT Paul Unupite, Director of the Human Resource Directorate of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), has reminded members of the Constabulary’s Standing Orders (CSO), which require officers to have only one legal spouse.
He emphasized that only the first and legally recognized spouse, along with children from that marriage, are eligible for benefits tied to marriage.
“This policy is in place to protect the integrity of our processes and uphold moral standards within the force,” Superintendent Unupite said.
The Constabulary maintains the principle of one husband and one wife in marriage, with certain benefits and privileges granted only to legally recognized unions. Officers were therefore urged to formalize their marriages to access these entitlements where necessary.
Superintendent Unupite encouraged members to make careful decisions when choosing a spouse and to maintain one marriage in order to avoid personal issues that could affect their work performance.
He made the remarks during the closing ceremony of a three-day Civil Marriage Celebrant Training conducted by the Office of the Civil Registry under the Department of Community Development and Religion.
The training concluded on Friday, 13 March 2026, at Weigh Inn in Konedobu and saw five participants certified as marriage celebrants-one policewoman and four police chaplains.
The certification authorises the recipients to officiate marriages, ensuring all marriage processes comply with the Marriage Act and Marriage Regulations, thereby guaranteeing the legal validity of the unions they solemnise.
The training was facilitated by the Welfare Section of the Human Resource Division of the RPNGC. It was initiated in response to growing concerns about the need for members to formalise their marriages in order to access marriage-related benefits-a gap that had remained unaddressed for the past decade.
Participants were trained on procedures for the solemnisation of marriages in Papua New Guinea and were equipped with the legal and procedural knowledge required to perform their roles as authorised celebrants.
The newly certified celebrants are:
- Inspector Susan Rumints, Officer in Charge of Police Welfare
- Pastor William Pok, Police Chaplain for Northern Command
- Reverend David Yuwi, Police Chaplain for Highlands Command
- Father Joseph Labigi, Police Chaplain for New Guinea Islands Command
- Father George Baruka, Police Chaplain for Bougainville Police Service