CONGRATULATIONS are in order for the police personnel and units that turned out to be major winners in the recent 120th Police Service Anniversary. No less than President Duterte also cited the PNP headed by General Gilor Eleazar for their successful war on criminality, drugs, terror and corruption last Thursday amid the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Gen. Eleazar, the country’s 26th police chief called on all members of the 210,000-strong force to help promote integrity and cleanliness in their organization during virtual ceremonies at Camp Crame where President Duterte and DILG Secretary Ed Año, in separate video message streamed live nationwide also gave their continuous support to all undertakings of the organization.

True enough, this year’s celebration focused mainly on the aspiration of the force to promote integrity and cleanliness in all aspect of police amid the new normal.

The PSA is annually celebrated in the month of August in commemoration of the establishment of the Philippine Constabulary as the country’s first insular police force founded on August 8, 1901. However, due to the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine in the National Capital Region and in compliance with the IATF policy and guidelines, the holding of the event was suspended until this week.

“Our job as police officer is one of the most challenging forms of public service. What we do, how we think and how we behave are always a special concern for the people in the community even if we are on off-duty,” Gen. Eleazar said.

I agree with the PNP chief. On-duty or off-duty policemen are the ones bringing either glory or shame to the organization. The good ones are those performing their duties diligently, helping the sick and the poor, the elderly and women and children either when they are in uniform or in civilian clothes on their way home.

Then there are the few who have been the subject of viral videos after they were caught in the act of committing abusive acts, shooting and killing or maiming their neighbors and other people in the streets or those caught for involvement in illegal drugs activities, robbery-extortion and other grave misconduct.

Supposed to be, the PSA is an occasion when the President visits Camp Crame to pay tribute to PNP units and officers and men who have shown exemplary performance. This year, we really ought to honor the country’s ‘front-liners’ from the police force, either those involved in addressing the further spread of the killer virus or those keeping the streets safe round-the-clock.

Gen. Eleazar said “the true measure of public service is the appreciation, the trust, the confidence and the respect of the people we serve.” Thus, let me join him and the rest of the PNP in congratulating the big winners last Thursday.

They include the top individual awardees in the person of Colonels Jerry Bearis and Serafin Petalio II, Lieutenant Colonels Ernesto Nebalasca Jr. and Hoover Antonio, Police Executive Master Sergeants Roberto de los Angeles and Christopher Ibañez, Corporal Gary de Guzman and Non-Uniformed Personnel Robilyn Rojas and Grace Dimaano.

The Unit Awardees are the Police Regional Office 3 under Brigadier Gen. Val de Leon; the Engineering Service under Brig. Gen. Abelardo Matillano; the Intelligence Group headed by newly-promoted Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsañgan; and the Calabarzon Regional Mobile Force Battalion under Lt. Col. Ledon Monte.

Also in the list are the Sorsogon Police Provincial Office, the 2nd Camarines Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company, the Naga City Mobile Force Company and the Aroroy Municipal Police Station, all under the PRO5 headed by Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo; the Davao City Police Office headed by Col. Kirby John Kraft and the Roxas City Police Station.

Many friends in the force told me that they consider the Engineering Service as ‘very lucky’ after beating the likes of the PNP Health Service and the Headquarters Support Service whose men really have sacrificed a lot as they are the true ‘front-liners’ in helping battle COVID-19 in Camp Crame and preventing its transmission outside since last year.

The PNP-ES was adjudged as the Best National Administrative Support Unit for its exemplary performance in personnel, logistics, comptrollership, research and development, doctrine development and information technology management from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

Individual special awards for their COVID-19 operations were likewise given to Lt. Col. Bevery de Guzman, Lt. Col. Christopher Melchor, Lt. Gladys Banzuelo, Staff Sgt. Ma. Filomena Flores, Captain Clyde Kalyawen and Major Liezel Mindaña.

Special Unit awardees were the PNP Health Service under Brig. Gen. Antonino Cirujales, the Crime Laboratory under Brig. Gen. Pax Muñoz, the PNP Drug Enforcement Group headed by Brig. Gen. Remus Medina and the Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay of the PRO11 headed by Brig. Gen. Filmore Escobal.

Also awarded last Thursday were JTF COVID Shield commander and PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lieutenant Gen. Bong Dickson, ASCOTF commander and PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, Lt. Gen. Jojo Vera Cruz, Major Gen. Rhodel Sermonia of the Directorate for Operations, the PNP Officers Ladies Club headed by Gen. Eleazar’s wife Rosalie and Mrs. Leticia ‘Letlet’ Cruz, the wife of PRO4-A director, Brig. Gen. Ely Cruz and Mayor Julio F. Parayno III.

A Special Posthumous Promotion was also given to the late Master Sgt. Amado D. Ormilon Jr. who died while helping control a fire that stuck a part of Camp Crame last January 8.

I would also like to congratulate three units of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for their outstanding accomplishments in the crackdown against criminality, drugs and corruption earning them commendations and an award from Gen. Eleazar.

The top cop likewise commended the PNP-CIDG headed by Major Gen. Bert Ferro for seeing to it that the PNP’s Intensified Cleanliness Program will be fully implemented literally ‘inside and outside’ all their units and offices.

Awarded as the Best CIDG Regional Field Unit was the CIDG Regional Field Unit 4-A in Calabarzon region under Col. Ramon Pranada while the CIDG Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit headed by Lieutenant Col. Crisle Cainong was cited as the Best CIDG Special Operations Unit.

The CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit headed by Col. Rogarth Campo got the award for the most number of significant accomplishments this year. Gen. Eleazar at the same time graced the blessing of newly-renovated CIDG offices at Camp Crame including the vastly-improved CIDG-NCRFU office.

The CIDG-NCRFU now even boast of a ‘holding cell’ where persons under custody are being held for 2-weeks and first cleared of any COVID-19 symptoms before they are transferred to the main custodial cell. The male and female CIDG-NCR lock-up cells are fully-ventilated and equipped with toilets and bathrooms.