, yesterday was my last day of office and I thank the PNP for giving me this 8-hour extension to wear my uniform for this special tradition and render my final salute to the organization and to the people whom I’ve sworn to serve. Don’t you worry, this extension will be the shortest and will not merit any promotion on my part that would derail the advancement of younger officers.
But kidding aside, I still don’t feel old, for at 56, I am still in the prime of my life. I am not yet tired. I still don’t consider myself being old who now join the ranks of "retired and old soldiers who fade away."
Although, I reached this far in my career and felt accomplished when I got my stars – I realized that my greatest fortunes in life is my family… Let me acknowledge my only son Ricky, who is going to take his master’s degree at the Asian Institute of Management this coming June. And to my loving and supportive wife, Fim, who is always there to support me in both my personal and professional life, my utmost gratitude.
As I collect my thoughts for this morning’s honor ceremonies, the wonderful memories and experiences brought about by 38 years in the military and police service suddenly flashed back.
RECOLLECTIONS
Pre-Military Career
During my tender years, I always wanted to be a farmer and agriculturist. Coming from a big poor family with eight other siblings, I wanted to help my parents by taking a course that I could finish in less than four years.
After my graduation at Sta. Barbara High School in my hometown of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan I initially enrolled at the Mapua Institute where I took up chemical engineering for two years under a scholarship grant meant for my father, who I am very proud of as one of the unsung soldiers and heroes who survived the infamous Bataan Death March in World War II.
PMA and First Assignments
But because I took to heart my father’s wishes, in 1967, I passed the PMA qualifying exam and formally entered the Philippine Military Academy. Four years later, I graduated together with the famous Matatag Class of 1971.
One of my first assignments and baptism of fire as an officer was being assigned at Camp Parang in Cotabato Central Mindanao as a young Lieutenant who just finished the Officer’s Basic Course.
It was at the height of the Muslim Secessionist rebellion in Mindanao where I served as company commander in Kalamansing, Cotabato and eventually the 454th PC Company Stations in Cotabato City.
The 57th PC Battalion was my next stop, as one of the pioneer officers having been designated as its Operations and Training Officer. I remember that the urgent task of organizing battalion in those days out of scratch was formidable.
In my entire military and police career, it was during those times when I experienced the fiercest battles, where the shadow of death always followed you. It pained me to see some of our comrades died in the line of fire.
Looking back, I thank God for allowing me to survive the Mindanao war in the 70’s.
ARMM Experience
Perhaps, those early experience as a junior officer in war-torn Mindanao worked in my favor when I returned to Camp Parang in 1995 when I was assigned there as police commander of the ARMM.
I must confess to you that it broke my wife’s heart upon learning that I was being assigned once again in Central Mindanao.
But as a good soldier and professional officer, I obeyed my Commander-in-Chief, then President Fidel V. Ramos, and accepted the challenge of then Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III. As always, I never balked at any lawful orders.
I took the challenge, focused my sight to make a difference in the area and continued to serve the country and the police service with my utmost best. And the rest is history.
From No 16, PRO ARMM was rankled as No. 1 and the best Police Regional Office in 1995.
After ARMM, my next assignment was as director of the Ilocos-Pangasinan Region and stayed at Camp Gen. Oscar Florendo in San Fernando City, in La Union.
PRO 1
Again we did our best to make a difference.
New buildings and structures in the camp were erected through the support of the different Congressmen in the Region.
We championed PRO 1 as the "Home of Citizen Friendly Policeman and Protector of Human Rights."
We also ventured in an environmental and livelihood projects called ‘Plant a Tree, Earn a College Degree," which was aimed at planting fruit bearing trees like mangoes to support the education of the policemen’s children in Region One.
The community and the people were with us and behind us.
As a result once again, besting all other regional offices, PRO 1 emerged as the PNP’s Best regional Office in 1997.
My stint with PRO ARMM and PRO 1 provided me a good preparation to handle in the future the most critical and challenging assignment in the country, the National Capital Region.
NCRPO
When I assumed as its Director in July 2002, our headquarters then in Camp Bagong Diwa was in utter neglect and disarray. All its major buildings were decrepit and needed repairs.
At the forefront, the war against criminality in Metro Manila is no less a total war than any other military campaign. It is even a more vicious war because every street, every dark corner—is a battlefront.
We tried and did our best again to make a difference.
We have practically transformed Camp Bagong Diwa into a premier police camp in the Philippines.
The foundations to an effective urban policing system have been solidly put in place.
The bold plans and programs, strategies and tactics, from crime mapping to quick response, have been tested and proven to work, such as: Pulis Mabilis, Magalang and Malinis; Magic Eye Txt 2910 and Police Express just to mention a few.
All the innovations we introduced were supported by two important surveys, one by Pulse Asia and the other by the UP Variates that profiled the economic conditions of Metro Manila policemen and women as well as the people’s perception and expectations in the metropolis. These two surveys were extensively used by my classmate, General Edgardo Aglipay when he was Chief PNP. I am also grateful that the surveys were also used as a guidepost in the FiveYear PNP Transformation Program prepared by then TCDS, now Chief PNP Art Lomibao.
Community support was one of its best that time.
There were collective successes in security handling both for national and international events.
There was the October 8, 2003 state visit of US President George W. Bush, where I served as overall ground commander of Task Force Dubya.
Despite apprehensions from some sectors —- to include those in high places —- I assured our commander-in-chief, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and also then security adviser now Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that President Bush would safely pass the streets going to the Batasang Pambansa and back to Malacañang.
Afterwards, no less than President Bush congratulated President Arroyo for the excellent security.
Both the George Bush visit and the recent International Parliamentary Union Conference where I headed should serve as a shining light and reservoir of good will for the whole PNP having proven to the international community that the "PNP is at par with the world’s best police corps."
All those rising level of Command positions I held throughout the years exposed and tried my leadership skills to the fullest. But my stint with the various Stall positions as Director for Logistics, Plans and Comptrollership challenged my managerial abilities more.
DIRECTORIAL STAFF POSITIONS
One of the legacies I would leave the PNP today was having worked hard for the grant of salaries and compensation at par with the public school teachers starting in 2001 and another in 2002.
More than the pressing effort to professionalize the rank-and-file, the other major concern was to attend to the standardization of police salaries which were addressed shortly after President Arroyo assumed office in January 2001 and another tranche on July 2002 including long-overdue payment of retirement benefits accumulated through the years.
These were accomplished when I served as Comptroller during the time of former PNP Chief now Transportation Secretary Leandro R. Mendoza.
DL
During my stint with the Directorate for Logistics, the system of accountability in the distribution of POL products and CCIEs down to the level of Police Station was institutionalized. We worked on the development of the Multi-Trunk Radio System (MTRS) and started to build modern gasoline stations for our LSS and field units. It was also during my stint with DL that we experience to procure more vehicles and firearms for our policemen.
DPL
Finally, the drafting of Magna Carta for Police Officers and the PNP Reorganization Plan were made possible during my stay with the Directorate for Plans. Republic Act 8551 was also finally approved in 1998 during my stint as your Director for Plans.
Other Assignments
In all other fields of assignment that I went through, Batangas, Negros Occidental, Firearms and Explosives Division and PCTC, I have always challenged my peers, officers and men to the idea of excellence and making a difference. It always paid off, we emerged, as always, the bets unit or landed in the league of the bests.
ROLE IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
But beyond these unit and personal awards and pride, there were few significant events in my life that I would always love to look back—- taking part in our nation’s history as we struggle for democracy and freedom is one of them.
SAF AND EDSA 1
My stint with the Special Action Force as its first Commander, while then a Major at the Philippine Constabulary, gave me this opportunity. It was also during my watch when the SAF "tagapagligtas" color was presented.
I held the SAF for more than four years (1983-1987), the longest so far recorded in the history of the command succession.
The highest point of my stint as SAF commander was during the four day EDSA 1 People Power Revolution in February 1986. Our elite force secured and provided round-the-clock security for then AFP Vice Chief of Staff and PC-INP Chief Fidel V. Ramos whose colorful career would lead him to the presidency in 1992.
These four days in February 1986 were one of the few defining moments in my career, which probably deserve now a fresh recollection so that I can also contribute my thoughts and reflections on that historic event.
EDSA 2
This rare opportunity to be part of the history of our nation did not stop there. During the three days EDSA II People Power Revolt in January 2001 that catapulted then Vice President Gloria Arroyo to the presidency, I was part of the team under General Mendoza that secured Camp Crame. It’s one of those interesting times that equaled my experience in the First People Power Revolution in February 1986.
A book containing my memoirs and recollections is now in the planning works after my retirement.
PNP TODAY
So today, as I leave this hallowed ground of Crame and this great institution of ours, I only have feelings of gratitude after having served our country and our people well.
I am thankful to the Lord Almighty for His gifts of life, talents, career, family and friends.
Gratitude fills my heart with the joyful feeling of being blessed with these many gifts.
To all of you who will be left behind, you are facing one of the toughest times in the history of our organization.
UNDP Report
The recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP) study entitled "Transforming the PNP to a More Capable, Effective and Credible Police Force" clearly dissected what really ails the national police.
The study recommended a total overhaul of the police stressing that transforming it into a truly professional and capable work force hinges on reforming the entire institutional framework of the country’s police systems, which provided the context of many of the current weaknesses of the police.
Among these weaknesses under the UNDP study include:
* Graft and corruption and abuse of authority is one of the most negative reputations of the PNP.
* The vulnerability of the PNP to "politicization" is inherent it its institutional and operational systems framework and weakens the entire PNP institutional integrity and accountability infrastructure. Thus even the selection of officers to certain posts is left at the hands of the few, leaving qualified officers out of the selection process simply because they are not close to the powers-that-be.
* Despite the constitutional provision of a one national police, agencies supervising the police force and agencies performing police functions, proliferate thus creating duplication, operational conflict, fragmentation of command responsibility, erosion of accountability, and unnecessary use of severely limited resources in redundant police institutions.
Amidst such weaknesses, the UNDP study also recommended a review of the power of local chief executives, other external agencies like the Department of Interior and Local Government and the National Police Commission so as to address the serious condition that destroys the command responsibility and administrative management authority of the PNP.
JUETENG ISSUE
One of the major challenges which must be hurdled collectively by the whole PNP – which has again topped the news headline — is licking the poor man’s game called – jueteng.
As a police officer — through the years, I always adapted a "no-take, no jueteng policy."
I have always maintained a position that I am against it since it destroys the moral fiber of many.
My record on this aspect is an open book. It may have been an unpopular stance to many and it may have even affected the career and fortune — even the promotions of some officers. But as a whole, I don’t have any regrets with my personal stance and conviction against jueteng.
But nonetheless, as I retire today, I am still equally concerned with the overall status and image of the PNP as an institution, so I leave you some words of wisdom to ponder.
WORDS OF WISDOM
With the challenges the PNP is facing now, don’t lose hope. Always remember that Rome was not built in one day and this also goes with the PNP which still has a long way to go.
I urge you to support the Five-Year Transformation Program initiated by Chief PNP, Director General Art Lomibao. It’s actually the first concrete step to reforming and transforming the PNP. Always remember that in any organization there will always be a few bad eggs but the greater majority are good, honest, efficient, professional and God-fearing cops.
There are three things I would like to be remembered and wish to impart to you as I leave the police service today, and these are:
1. Professionalism and Dedication to Service. Always respect lawful orders particularly in assignments. Serve as professional officers. When the Commander-in-Chief or the Chief PNP decides, everybody must follow and toe-the-line. Learn from my experience since I have shown this capacity to follow orders and accept decision in good faith. Always remember that being in the police service, the public good is over and above personal interest.
2. Make A Difference and Be a Hero. Always bear in mind that you are the living hero of your family and your loved ones. This has always been my guiding light as I remember my late father who advised me to be always proud of my profession, not to soil it with dishonesty and to always give my best in serving the people. "Bayani ang pulis." This must be inculcated to all of you. By embracing this "Bayani ang Pulis" mindset, there is hope that the country will be assured of a professional, disciplined and dedicated police force.
3. Be courageous. It is a virtue and trait needed by every police officer. Courage is guided by one’s internal and moral compass. All across the country, policemen and women are displaying this sheer courage. You can find examples of such courage in the ordinary lives of the 117,000 strong police force. Courage is finding the inner strength and bravery required when confronted with danger, difficulty or opposition. Courage is learned the moment you take a leap of faith and take action.
This is a promise to all of you, whatever I have started and contributed in the PNP will be continued in another field or perhaps in other career such as vigorously pushing for the passage of the Magna Carta for Policemen.
I would endeavor to convince other sectors to rather instill pride and dignity in the police institution.
Rest assured, that I will continue to care, love and hold in high esteem our beloved PNP. It’s our institution that deserves everyone’s commitment, love and dedication even after retirement.
Before I formally bade you goodbye, I wish to answer a question from one of the junior officers who asked me about my secret formula in always adapting a winning outlook and attitude in serving the public during the last 38 years?
PARTING WORDS
