AFTER the unfortunate resignation of the PNP Director General (DG), Gen Oscar David Albayalde, on October 2019, the next three DGs paled in comparison to three of PDU30’s PNP DG’s and/or Chiefs, Ronaldo ‘Bato’ de la Rosa, Oscar Albayalde and Guillermo Eleazar.
Bato was great because he was bald and the ‘bata’ or favorite of PDU30, who was both more credible and more popular at the start of his term (June 30, 2016).
Albayalde had served as NCRPO Director and Region 3 Director. Both he and Eleazar were similar in several respects. They were not PDU30 favorites. They were both action men and had high media profiles when they were NCRPO Directors.
Both DGs Archie Gamboa and Camilo Cascolan were low profile as four - star Director Generals and as three - star Deputy Director Generals for Administration and/or Operations, as well as and/or Chiefs of the Directorial Staff.
They served out their two - star days either as the heads of PNP Headquarters Staff Directorates or Coordinators of two or three Regional Commands.
They spent their one - star days either as Regional Directors outside of the NCR or as Heads of National Offices or Units or as Deputies in the Staff Directorates.
General Diebold Sinas is in a class by himself.Looking back at his twenty - two predecessors as PNP DGs and the nine decades or eighty - nine years and almost six months of PC Chiefs, we can’t find a worse constable or policeman, more undeserving of the top position.
He made it solely because of his connection with PDU30. He was a bad NCRPO Director and was ‘antipatico’ to the media.
His only claims to fame are his violation of COVID-19 Quarantine protocols during his May 8, 2020 birthday ‘Mananita’, different treatment for VIPs like San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora as against ordinary citizens, whitewashing of investigations and brazen cover - ups.
He jumped from two – star rank to four - star rank. His crowning glories were high profile murders committed by policemen against a retired Army Sergeant, a Tarlac family, as well as by the Sulu/Jolo PNP against four Army Intelligence operatives.
Finally, the Commonwealth Ave., GOTESCO/McDonald, shootout between the Q. C. police and the PDEA that is yet to be resolved.
In order to please a Good for Nothing Palace Favorite, the country and the National Police Institution were both deprived of the services of General Eleazar as Chief, PNP for a longer period than six months.
He should have been promoted right after Albayalde’s resignation in October 2019 so that he could have had at least two years to reform the PNP.
Fortunately for Eleazar but unfortunately for all of us, COVID-19 and the quarantines rescued him from anonymity after his promotion from NCRPO Director to three - star positions and rank.
During his stint as Deputy Director General for Operations, he was designated as Task Force COVID Shield Commander. In all three high profile positions, Eleazar has come across as a strict disciplinarian, a compassionate and practical implementer and a great communicator.
Even though, I am a natural born rebel, I feel like cooperating when the Chief Enforcer is like Eleazar. On the other hand, I have total contempt for ‘Mananita’ Sinas. I was indifferent to Gamboa and Cascolan.
I speak out of close and direct experience. I personally knew or knew much about many of the previous Chiefs, PNP as well as, of the PC/INP and the old PC.
In order of personal, as well as professional closeness, following is my order of friendship: Montano, Ramos, de Villa, Lastimoso, Imperial, Mendoza, Razon, Aglipay, Yan, Garcia, Ebdane.
In order of my knowing about them, although we were not personal friends, following is my order of knowledge: Lacson, Raval, Cruz, Cabal, Valdez, Crame, Castaneda and Jalandoni.
Both Valdez and Crame are my relatives by affinity.
Since I was a young boy growing up in New Manila, Q. C., I was interested in both Current Affairs, as well as History.
My special interests were the Military and Politics. I was an avid reader of my father and my two older brothers’ books and magazines.
I was an avid listener to my dad’s, my mom’s and my older cousins’ stories about the peacetime/pre - World War II era, the Japanese Occupation and Liberation.
Unlike other citizens and residents of an American colony, my father did not believe in American invincibility. He knew what Japan was doing what it was capable of.
He predicted the start of the Japanese attacks late in the afternoon of Sunday, December 7, 1941.
My mother’s brothers were all Nationalists and involved in politics in the 1940’s, 1950’s. 1960’s, 1970’s, and until their deaths.
Tito Salvador served under Quirino and Magsaysay, Tito Vicente served under Magsaysay and Garcia.
He ran for Vice President in November 1957 under the PPP and Manuel Manahan and with Raul S. Manglapus. Tito Tony ran for Senator in 1946 under the Democratic Alliance.
He was appointed as BIR Commissioner by Magsaysay but did not last more than a month. Congress reduced his budget to P 1.00 because he dared to investigate Congressmen.
He was the Treasurer of the Nacionalista Party for a long time. Unfortunately, he was allied with the Ayalas in business and with the Lopezes in politics.
Aside from my experience in politics since Magsaysay ran for President in November 1953, I have been a Moderate, Reformist Activist since 1965.
However, what provided me the opportunity to get to know, meet and befriend so many Chiefs, PC and DDGs, PNP, were my jobs from 1975 – 1981, 1986 – 1989, 2001 – 2004, 2004 - 2013 and 2013 – 2019.(To be continued)