"Police leaders should leave the organization in a better shape than when they came to it."
"Police leaders should leave the organization in a better shape than when they came to it."
Last week, I was with my family having dinner at the Baguio Country Club when a dozen gentlemen belonging to the Philippine Military Academy class of 1985 walked past our table. Since some of them worked with me while I was still in the active service, there were of course, the obligatory greetings. It seems that they were here in Baguio because one of their members will be retiring next month and will be accorded the customary parade and review given to all PMA graduates before they are finally put to pasture.
The one retiring is Chief Supt. Arnold Gunacao, formerly the PNP Highway Patrol director but who is currently assigned with the Directorate of Integrated Police Operations. To the uninitiated, this is a position created for people who cannot be given any line assignments like for instance a Regional Director. On paper, the position looks impressive because it is supposed to oversee the operations of three Police Regions.
In actual fact, however, it is a paper tiger. Those who are assigned to DIPO are mostly those who happen to be senior to the appointed Chief PNP.
The practice that has developed in the PNP is that if an officer who is appointed as the Chief PNP happens to belong to a junior class like what happened to Bato de la Rosa and Oscar Albayalde, both members of the PMA class of 1986, officers belonging to the classes of 1984 and 1985 can expect radical changes in their assignments.
Why? Because the members of the class of 1986—now considered the ruling class—will now be occupying most, if not all, the important and critical positions. It does not happen to all seniors, but certainly to the majority of those officers who graduated earlier. In the class of 1985 for instance, Chief Supt. Rolly Nana who was my junior officer when I was provincial commander of La Union, is the current regional director of the Cordillera Administrative Region. But most have been replaced and moved to DIPO.
Given that the police and military already retire very early, it is not only a waste of talent but government resources as well to pasture of these officers a lot earlier than their actual retirement. The worst that can happen to an officer is to be given a “nothing” assignment in the twilight of one’s career.
One of those officers having dinner was Chief Supt. Eric Velasquez, who stopped by our table to exchange pleasantries. He too is assigned to DIPO. This officer is a lawyer and since there are not too many lawyer officers in the PNP, his expertise is certainly being wasted. This situation exists primarily because of the traditional upper class system practiced in the PMA. This is a situation wherein once an underclass, one is perpetually that even if the junior graduate eventually outranks an individual who graduated ahead of him.
Up to about 1986, most if not all those appointed as Chiefs of Constabulary came from a pool of officers who basically joined the service at the same time. The appointment of a Chief of Constabulary junior to others started when then President Cory Aquino designated General Cesar Nazareno who belonged to the class of 1961, as Chief, PC/INP over senior graduates of the PMA. This was followed by the appointment of General Recaredo Sarmiento over graduates four years senior to him. Then the practice became routine.
It is now 2019, and the upper class system is still alive and well. One would think that due to the frequency of the practice of juniors being appointed over senior graduates, that there would have been some kind of acceptance on the part of both sides to adjust to the realities of the situation. But it is not so.
Not being a graduate of the PMA, I do not think I can provide a satisfactory answer to this unhealthy practice. But I think it is time to accept this phenomena of junior graduates being appointed over their seniors and adjust accordingly for the sake of the service. If the Armed Forces have been able to adjust smoothly, there should be no reason why the PNP cannot also do it. The AFP was able to put in place regulations and policies which the leadership is enforcing uniformly and consistently. It may be harder in the PNP but there is no choice if it wants to reform.
There used to be a practice to give senior retiring officers what was called preferential assignments. This practice was to give them the opportunity to retire with honor and dignity. Unfortunately, this practice is now dead and gone. Retiring officers can now wake up one morning to find out that they have been retired without any ceremony. It is sad, what has happened to the good traditions of the service. The camaraderie, the esprit de corps—they are now things of the past. What remains are groupings of officers banding together to take care of their interests first instead of the interests of the whole organization.
The PNP has had a long and distinguished history. It is now 118 years old going back to Aug. 8, 1901 when Brig. Gen. Henry T. Allen organized the Philippine Constabulary. Older still if we include the Guardia Civil during the Spanish colonial period. The ideal thing to happen is for every generation of Police leaders to make it their solemn duty to endeavour to leave the PNP in a better shape than when they found it, not worse. This means a more dedicated, competent and professional police organization that we can all be proud of.