“Some police generals should find time to pick Gen. De Leonís brain.”
P/Brig. Gen. Valeriano T. De Leon calmly confronted P/MSGT Jonel Nuezca, the Parañaque City policeman arrested for shooting dead his neighbors, a mother, and son, over a petty domestic dispute in Paniqui, Tarlac last December.
And then, General De Leon blurted at the cold-blooded murderer, “Sinira mo ang PNP sa ginawa mo. You dragged down the entire police organization for killing those people just like killing a dog. Scalawags like you have no right to wear the PNP uniform and badge.”
The PNP Police Regional Office 3 chief guaranteed the dismissal from the service and life imprisonment of the Parañaque cop, who is said to be “off-duty” at the time of his drunken rampage in Tarlac.
“The truth is we are never off-duty, as we swore to serve and protect the people at all times, that’s twenty four-seven wherever we are,” Gen. De Leon stressed.
He assured that no police officer ends up like Nuezca under his watch as director of PNP-PRO 3, which has been adjudged as PNP’s “Best Police Regional Office” for its anti-crime drive and civic work in the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
I sure hope the rest of the PNP regional offices would reform and perform as well as PRO-3 does.
Gen. De Leon thanked the Camp Crame top echelon headed by General Guillermo Eleazar who recognized PRO 3’s “outstanding accomplishments not only in fulfilling its mandate to maintain peace and order but also winning the heart and mind of the people in times of pandemic crisis.”
It did not surprise me, knowing Gen. De Leon’s hands-on style of management at the PNP Firearms and Explosives Unit (FEU).
He left a legacy of competence and efficiency, having instituted “contactless” transactions with online firearms registration, licensing, renewal and payments which eliminated red tape and corruption.
Gun owners observed a drastic change when registering firearms and getting licenses because De Leon made all of the transactions online including the payments.
Civilian gun owners only have to come personally for drug tests and psychiatric examinations.
Gen. De Leon, a member of Philippine Military Class “Makatao” class of 1989, had also served as PRO-7 director impressively before taking over PRO-3 in October 2020 for retired general Debold Sinas.
Under Gen. De Leon’s leadership, PRO 3 was recognized for its crime-busting operations, particularly its anti-illegal drugs drive and anti-terrorist efforts.
Gen. De Leon and his men are credited with seizing hundreds of kilos of shabu designer drugs and marijuana worth millions of pesos, hoards of high-powered illegal firearms, arrests and neutralization of high-value-target personalities in Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales.
The PRO 3 director said those arrested include several foreigners engaged in international illegal drugs trafficking.
Gen. De Leon warned there will be no letup in the drug war, especially against “narco-politicians” who want to beef up their election campaign funds.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, PRO-3 has actively partnered with the Armed Forces, local government units (LGUs) and the non-government organizations (NGOs) in extending relief and rescue operations, and medical missions.
And now, PRO-3 personnel are among the frontliners implementing the rollout of the government vaccination program to attain herd immunity.
“It is in winning the heart and mind of the people more than pursuing the remnants of the communist New People’s Army in the mountains that we can make peace flourish in the countryside,” Gen. De Leon said.
Some police generals should find time to pick Gen. De Leon’s brain. Little wonder that PRO-3 is the PNP’s best regional police office.