The No-Nonsense Col. Marlou Chan

Senior Supt. Chan

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

 The first time I met Pangasinan Provincial Police Officer in Charge, Sr. Supt. Marlo Chan, a native of Chan Quintin, er, San Quintin, Pangasinan, I thought I met a stand up comedian and a philosopher.
Because of space constraint available for this columnist let’s deal with Chan’s “San Tzu kindda” philosophy.
 After Arlito Estrada, 36, was gruesomely exterminated inside his car in Brgy. Minien, Sta. Barbara in Pangasinan by four assassins who peppered him with M-16 assault rifle and 45 caliber hand guns, Chan, PMA class of 1984, told us media men at President Hotel in Lingayen that “mabuti pa iyong nagpu-pulis pulisan kaysa sa tunay na pulis.”
He said a media friend who probably loves to play policeman texted him that a man in his car was shot to death by hired guns in Sta. Barbara.
The colonel immediately called Chief Inspector Giovanni Mangonon the chief of police of Sta. Barbara, if he knows already about the killing in his jurisdiction. Son of a gun, Chan told us that Mangonon does not know about it. “Iyan ang problema natin dito sa Pangasinan, before langgam (assassins riding in tandem in a slick motorcycle) lang ang pumapatay, ngayon elepante na,” he emphatically deplored by referrning how daring the killers in Pangasinan who even used a black car to consummate their evil dastardly acts.
 He lamented the “lackadaisical attitude” of Mangonon that he even ask him if he wants him (Chan) to lead the investigation. “Insulto sa kanya iyon pag ako pa ang mag-iinvestigate.” Chiefs of police in Pangasinan, susmariosep, you should be gathering your acts together pronto.
 It seems you’re no longer dealing with the soft General Omar Bradley, you’re being watch now by the stern General Georgie Patton.
Chan told us that he plans to put police men, just like a koban in Japan, visibly patrolling the main highways of the humongous province as one way to mitigate the spate of killings with a “weekly” regularity that gives a black eye to the powers-that-be.
 ***
 Oh, before I forgot I was a surprised seeing policeman in Dagupan City hanging around in their snappy complete uniform at the city’s police station around 8 Am last Sunday. They told me that they were at their satellite posts in different villages of the city the night before because they learned that Colonel Chan would have a surprise visit, like a ghost in early dawn, to check if they were guarding their post. I was told too that the police visibility we are seeing now in the major highways of the province came from the stringent order of Chan. "He was so strict that he even chided a chief of police whom he suspected floating the rumor that his becoming a chief was through the intercession of the new provincial director," my source told me. (Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)