Major Generals Acorda, Estomo groom as Next PNP Chief

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In the birthday bash recently of a retired police major general in the posh Valle Verde in Pasig City, I met some Colonels and senior officers of the Directorate for Intelligence (D.I) led by their chief Major General Benjie Acorda (PMA Class 1991). When my sister-in-law Liza Magaway – the Missus of Police retired Major Gen. Mariel Magaway (former chief of D.I and PMA Class 1986) – introduced him to me, I told Gen. Acorda that he was still a cadet when I worked at the public information office and at the tactics office of the Philippine Military Academy in the late 1980s. We recalled how cadets where dichotomized during the most devastating but failed coup d' tat dubbed as the December 1, 1989 Putsch against President Cory Aquino by the group led by Army cashiered Colonel Gringo Honasan and General Edgardo Abenina of the Reform Armed Forces Movement (RAM) and the Marcos Loyalists led by retired General Jose Ma. Zumel – a Rightist whose Leftist brother is Commie’s National Democratic Front of the Philippines Chair Antonio Zumel.

BRASS. Philippine National Police's Directorate for Intelligence (D.I) Chief Major General Benjie Acorda (PMA '91) (left of photo) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo (PMA '92).

“Where were you during that coup?” I asked the white tee clad but ramrod straight General as I remembered then PMA Superintendent Army General Boy Enrile was given a huge sent off and a warmed acrimonious welcome by workers of the Academy in Barangay Kias, Baguio City after he persuaded the beleaguered Scout Rangers headed by their chief then Army Captain Danny Lim ( West Point alumnus) to come out in their redoubts in those skyscrapers in Makati City after they holed in there to fight to the death the encircling government troopers led by AFP Chief of Staff Renato de Villa.

The tide of the putsch changed its course after President Aquino – at the behest of his Cabinet members like Defense Sec. Fidel Ramos – called by phone the White House which was under President George W.H Bush.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Colin Powel – a black American four –star Army General who came from the ROTC and not that college near the Hudson River called USMA or West Point – recalled on his 643 pages’ book with Joseph E. Persico titled My American Journey - I bought then at Book Sale - narrated how he and Admiral Huntington Hardisty instead decided to instruct US F-4- III pilots to take off from Clark Air Base in Pampanga and buzz the air base captured by the putschists in a manner that demonstrated "extreme hostile intent" with further instructions to shoot down any planes like those T-28 Trojans - we called in Cotabato in the 1970s and 1980s as Tora-Tora – and the rockets guided Sikorsky utility helicopters  that did takeoff.

“Nasa rebelde kami noong panahon,’ General Acorda told me recalling those challenging times in 1989 when he was still a cadet at the PMA.

***

While quaffing Johnny Walker's booze and chewing those delectable General Santos City sliced raw tunas mixed with Wasabi and Kikkoman with some officers, I heard that General Acorda was being groomed as the heir apparent of PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin who will retire on April 23, 2023 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age but still a young mark of 56.

 “There are three of them being groomed to be the next PNP Chief. General Acorda, (Major) General Jonnel Estomo (PMA ‘92), and Major General Ronald Lee (PMA ‘92). It’s between Acorda and Estomo since Lee is still young”.

Estomo and Lee – a former provincial director of Pangasinan – are the chiefs of the National Capital Region and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

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The Lethal, Costly Weapons of a Cobra

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.