By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
President Benigno Aquino III promised to look into
complaints of alumni of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) that they
continue to be discriminated in the promotions and assignments in the Philippine
National Police compared with graduates of the Philippine Military Academy
(PMA).
Cadets of the Philippine Military Academy |
Presently, there are only three PNPA graduates—all belonging
to PNPA Class 1983—with the rank of chief superintendent, a star-rank position
equivalent to brigadier general in the military.
On the other hand, about 150 members of PMA classes 1981 to
1984 are holding the rank of chief superintendent or higher.
“If you look at the police organization, the PMA alumni are
the minority in the PNP while the PNPA graduates belong to the majority. But in
terms of position, PMAyers hold the highest positions in the PNP,” Rosendo
Dial, PNPA Alumni Association Inc. chair, lamented to newsmen.
***
Although I did not see nowadays favoritism by a higher
ranking PMAyer to a subordinate PMAyer at the Police Provincial Office (PPO) in
Lingayen, Pangasinan that I used to frequent after I became friends with some
top brass there, I did see however an instance of this clichรฉ practice before.
It was the positioning of some police superintendents (Lt.
Colonel in the military) for the post of the chief of police of the “lucrative”
city police station in Dagupan where the three lobbyists came from the PMA
(one) and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) (two).
I asked the PMAyer that the shoo-in for the post, according
to news men, would be the relative of the mayor and the endorsee
of the powerful sect Iglesia ni Cristo.
He told me that I prepare my bet of P100 versus the P1 of
this PNPA alumnus friend and expect a slum dunk in my wager.
“Alam mo pare, dito sa
Pangasinan ang pinaka prestigious na position dito ay PD (provincial director),
chief of police of Dagupan City, and intelligence chief ng PPO. Hindi naman ako
puweding pabayaan ni PD (a PMAyer) dahil dalawa na lang kaming PMAyer dito”.
To make the long story short, he became the chief of police
while nobody challenged my P100 versus the P1 in favor of the PNPA graduate.
***
***
I just learned that one reason why PMA alumni scoff at PNPA
graduates, except probably PNPA alumni 2004 upward, the latter just attended
the Academy for two years after they earned certain units in college.
PMA graduates, according to a general, are molded in military tradition for four
years where they grow up there with hazing, seniority, a fear of the Horror,
er, Honor Code, and other regimental Spartan education.
Cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy |
***
Recently national dailies blared with headlines about
President Simeon Benigno Aquino III chided Senior Supt. Conrad Capa during the
police anniversary at Camp Crame.
The more Aquino gives disparaging remarks on Capa , the more
the people believe that he "mingled" for the release of big time swindler Delfin Lee as insinuated by Capa when he
poured his sentiment against Chief PNP Director Purisima who reassigned him to
Cebu as Deputy Regional Director for Operation instead of a prestigious post as
a result of his feats.
Granted,
without Capa as head of the Task Force
Tugis that arrested Lee, suspicion permeate the air that Purisima and Aquino
would have allowed Lee, an alleged contributor of Aquino on his successful foray
to the presidency, to abscond at the expense of the thousands of his victims
including the government holding the proverbial empty bag.
***
10 chiefs of police (COP) and personnel at the PPO in Pangasinan have been stripped
off of their assignment. Source said this was due to the directive of PNP Chief
Purisima that officers who serve the province for more than 10 years be
reassigned outside the local government unit (LGU).
But a COP who barely warmed his seat has asked his superior
to be reassigned from his present post.
Reason: He displeased the mayor of the local government unit
(LGU) he serves who wants him to manipulate a case.
Source said there was also a threat to the life of the chief. What?
Gee whiz, because of the threat the COP cowered for reassignment? “What happened
to our country, general? Posed by then Vice-President Emmanuel Pelaez to
General Tomas Karingal when the former survived an ambush.
***
I remembered years
ago about a no-nonsense chief who was then a captain who arrested a brother of
a mayor because the brother and his gang have become unruly in a beer house and
even fired his pistol there.
When arrested by responding lawmen and thrown in the
calaboose the hizzoner’s sibling badmouthed and threatened the chief to be
relieved.
“I packed my things as I plan to be relieved anytime after I
upset the mayor after I filed the illegal possession of firearm and alarm and
scandal against his brother and his friends”.
The captain told his provincial director that he be relieved
soon since his relationship with the mayor, who appointed him, has been
strained.
“Stay put in your post,” barked by the PD on the other line
of the phone.
But the mayor has connection with the powers that be who
called the PD (who is now a top police official) to drop the cases the COP
filed against the wayward brother and his unruly friends.
“Withdraw mo na ang kaso
para hindi na magulo,” ordered to him by his superior.
The captain soldiered on to the
request of the PD who acquiesced too for his request to be relieved as he did
not want to serve anymore the mayor.
(You can read my selected columns at
http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can
send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).
PMA VS PNPA
ReplyDeleteSome good input presented by Atty.Ramil Gabao:
My recollection of RA 8551 (correct me if I am wrong) is that there are:
1 CPNP with the rank of DG
3 DCPNP with the rank of DDG
10 or so Directors for the Directorial Staff (I think the PNP added some) with the rank of D and their assistants or deputy (at least 2) of these Directors are at least SSupt and/or CSupt.
11 or so for the Operational Units/Offices (I think the PNP added some) with the rank of CSupt and their assistants or deputy (at least 2) are SSupt and/or Supt.
14 Regional Directors with the rank of CSupt and their assistants or deputy (at least 2) with the rank of SSupt.
The Regional Director for NCR with the rank of Director and his/her assistant (at least 2) with the rank of CSupt.
Five District Director in NCR with the rank of CSupt.
Point of consideration for this discussion:
1. The last PMA Graduate to enter the PNP direct from the academy was the batch ’90 (correct me if I am wrong). Most of them right now have the rank of SSupt. Thus, clearly looking at the available positions above, if there are 300 of them still left in the organization, there really is not enough positions for them to fill. It is expected therefore, that they should be kind and generous to their own kind (or putahe) he he he…
2. Appointment or promotion to the rank of SSupt and higher is now directly a prerogative of the President of the Philippines. Thus, should the President also be part of the blame for this alleged obvious favouritism? And
3. If no. 1 above is true, then the PMA is a vanishing breed in the PNP (the vanishing putahe, mawawala na sa menu.. he he he), and with the pyramid positioning in the PNP hierarchy, not all the alleged 300 PMA grad will remain in the organization in the next 5 years or so.
Thus, the PNPA grad should wait for its time to reign in the PNP hierarchy, they are after all enshrined by no less than RA8551 as the main source of officials for the PNP (it will be chicken joy forever…. He he he).
My concerns are: Will history not repeat itself when it is their time? Will they not do the same to the criminologists and other lateral entrants what they perceived to be injustice done by the PMA grad to their kind? Are they preparing themselves with the same alleged solidarity and professionalism the transition of leadership from the grip of the PMAers to their grip of the PNPAers in regard the issues raised here?
Hopefully, the answers to all of the above queries will be in the affirmative, an honest and credible affirmative.
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