DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ S. Abalos Jr. and Special Assistant to President (SAP) Bongbong Marcos Jr., Secretary Ernesto ‘Anton’ F. Lagdameo Jr. have guaranteed the promotion of 92 star-rank police officials following their dialog with the Philippine National Police top brass, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. on Monday said.

“Before I left for Hawaii, I requested my Command Group to engage the SILG regarding the matter concerning the promotion of 92 star-rank officers. There was a discussion and even Sec. Anton Lagdameo was present there. They convinced Napolcom Vice-Chairman Alberto Bernardo to reconsider the promotion of these 92 officers who really deserve to be promoted since they worked hard for it,” the PNP chief told the Journal Group.

Azurin said the DILG chief was supported by Lagdameo in his pronouncement that he will guarantee the promotion of the 92 officials. “I think it’s guaranteed na,” he said.

Journal Group sources alleged Abalos even said he will resign from his post in the event the 92 will not be promoted before October 9.

The PNP top brass last week held a dialog with the DILG chief and all commissioners of the National Police Commission chaired by Abalos to address the very important issue on the promotion of 3rd-level police officials which if remained unapproved would create a vacuum on the PNP organization.

The latest dialog was held amid a decision by the Napolcom chaired by Abalos not to act on the promotion papers of at least 92 police officials applying for promotion to Star-Rank and Full-Fledged Colonels.

The papers of majority of the applicants have been submitted to the Napolcom chaired by former DILG chief Eduardo M. Año for approval before the May 9 national and local elections but were affected by the election ban.

The Commission on Elections ordered a ban on the promotion of public officials, PNP personnel included from March 25 to May 8, 2022 in connection with the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.

However, Napolcom Vice Chairman Bernardo refused to act on the promotion of the 92 citing a number of laws violated by the previous Napolcom En Banc committee.

The move effectively blocked the promotion of the present members of the PNP Command Group and other incoming 3-star, 2-star and 1-star police generals, some of them already nearing their retirement age or have already reached the age of 55.

Under the law, except for the PNP chief, no PNP officer or men who has less than a year left in the service cannot be promoted to the next higher rank. The mandatory retirement age in the police force is 56.

Highly-reliable Journal Group sources said the present DILG-Napolcom leadership now wants officials to occupy Table of Organization or TO positions for at least six months before being promoted. It also insist that there should only be 16 PNP National Support Units as stated under Republic Act 6975 or the DILG Act of 1990 enacted on December 13, 1990.

However, Journal Group sources said the PNP should not be faulted for the ‘sins of the past DILG-Napolcom leadership’ which issued a number of resolutions regarding placement and promotion in the force including the creation of the former PNP Directorates for Police Integrated Police Operations or DIPOs which are now known as Area Police Commands.

The creation of five DIPOs during the previous Macapagal-Arroyo administration triggered the promotion of five more 3-star or Police Lieutenant Generals, five more 2-Star or Police Major Generals and five more 1-star of Police Brigadier Generals.

It was also during the previous DILG-Napolcom leaderships who approved the creation of additional PNP National and Administrative Support Units headed by 2-star or 1-star generals.

During their dialog with Abalos and the Napolcom commissioners, Azurin, in a statement read by PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Major Gen. Benjamin D. Santos Jr. quoted excerpts from Paragraph 8 of the Joint Resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives in 2009.

The Joint Congress Resolution maintained that when it comes to Military and Uniformed Personnel, “the military personnel of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the uniformed personnel of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall be covered by a compensation system that will promote pay equity for an effective, efficient, professional and motivated corps of military and uniformed personnel.

“Like his predecessors, our President and Commander-in-Chief now recognize the distinct role of your PNP in nation-building. So do both houses of Congress, the DBM, GSIS and other government and non-government agencies,” Gen. Azurin said.

The top cop maintained that the PNP, as a part of the Military and Uniformed Services has its Drills and Ceremonies, Customs and Traditions, Protocols, and other regulations and practices which is far different from most of the bureaucracy.

“We do not demand overtime. And we follow orders,” Gen. Azurin said.

He even quoted words uttered by Colonel Jessup in the Hollywood film ‘A Few Good Men’: We use words like “service”, “honor,” “justice”. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. Others use them as a punch line.”

Azurin however said that the PNP, cannot explain in coherent terms the actions and resolutions of the Napolcom in the last three decades.

“In this backdrop, the PNP is appealing to the Honorable Secretary and Chairman of Napolcom, and the whole National Police Commission for equity, moderation and open mindedness,” he said.

“We intend to pursue our cause just for our grievances to be heard and we will pursue this until our grievances will be heard.

I trust that through this dialogue, the PNP and Napolcom will find a win-win solution to this situation,” he added.