THERE are already a dozen of them at present and I’m referring to star-rank officers from the Philippine National Police Academy or the ‘Lakans’ who are now leading the police force’s campaign against criminality, insurgency, terror and corruption in their own way after being given the chance by PNP chief, General Jun Azurin to prove their worth.

To date, there are over 20 PNPA graduates who are now directors of PNP National Operational or Administrative Support Units, seven are already Police Regional Office directors while five are NCRPO District Directors.

Already, there are three members of PNPA ‘Tagapagpatupad Class of 1992 namely Brigadier Generals John Chua, Rod Dimas and Roderick Alba who are now the respective RDs of Police Regional Offices 1 in Ilocos-Pangasinan region; PRO5 in Bicol region and PRO7 in Central Visayas region.

Others are Brig. Gen. Cesar Pasiwen of PNPA Class 1994 (PRO3 director in Central Luzon); Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop of PNPA Class 1991 (PRO10 director in Northern Mindanao); Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon also of PNPA Class 1991 (PRO-Bangsamoro Administrative Region in Muslim Mindanao director); and Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II of PNPA Class 1993 (new PRO13 director in Caraga region).

Also count the names of PNPA Class 1992 members namely Brig. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo of the PNP Special Action Force; Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group; and Brig. Gen. Joel Doria of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group.

Add the names of PNPA Class 1993 members: Brig. Gen. Clifford Gairanod of the Highway Patrol Group; incoming Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin of the Aviation Security Group; incoming Brig. Gen. Jun Castil of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group; Brig. Gen. Constancio Chinayog of the Forensic Group; and Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.

There are also the members of PNPA Class 1994 namely Brig. Gen. Andrew Cayad of the PNP Intelligence Group and Brig. Gen. Joey Masauding of the PNP Finance Service; and those from PNPA Class 1995, incoming Brig. Gen. Kenneth Lucas of the Firearms and Explosives Office and Albert Magno of the EOD/K-9 Group.

The others are doing great in their administrative work, mainly geared at ensuing hassle-free and corruption-free undertakings in their respective offices like Brig. Gen. Niño Rabaya (PNPA 1993) of the Police Retirement and Separation Benefits Service; Brig. Gen. Ric Layug (PNPA 1993) of the Engineering Group; incoming Brig. Gen. Roderick Minong (PNPA 1993) of the Logistics Support Service and;

Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Cabral (PNPA 1992) of the PNP Training Service); Brig. Gen. Leumar Abugan (PNPA 1992) of the PNP-SOSIA; and Brig. Gen. Harris Fama (PNPA Class 1990) of the Information Technology Management Service).

In Metro Manila, five ‘Lakans’ are the current NCRPO District directors namely my old friends, Brig. Gen. Nic Torre of the Quezon City Police District (PNPA Class 1993); Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon and Brig. Gen. Kirby Kraft, both from PNPA Class 1994 and respectively the Manila Police District and Southern Police District directors; and incoming Brigadier Generals from PNPA Class 1995: Colonel Ponce Peñones of the Northern Police District and Col. Wilson Asueta of the Eastern Police District.

The list of ‘Lakans’ who are now playing a vital role in the PNP’s campaign against criminality, terror and corruption is very long and is still growing. Before I forget, let me also congratulate incoming Lieutenant Gen. Rhoderick Armamento (PNPA Class 1990) of the Area Police Command-Southern Luzon and all the other ‘Lakans’ who are now holding key positions in the force.

They include the ‘Lakans’ who are now either serving as Regional Chiefs of the different PNP NOSUs and NASUs; Provincial Directors, members of the Command Group of different Police Regional Offices and PNP Directorial Staff as well as the hundreds of police station, municipal or city and police-community precinct commanders.

This week, Gen. Azurin commended three members of PNPA ‘Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992 who are now leading their men in pursuing the Marcos government’s crackdown on drugs. They are Brigadier Generals Domingo of the PNP-DEG; Dimas of the PRO5 and Alba of the PRO7.

Early Thursday morning, a PNP-DEG-led anti-narcotics operation in Guinobatan, Albay resulted in the killing of an Army soldier-turned top drug target in Bicol region after he resisted arrest and engaged officers in a gunfight.

Corporal Aaron Magbuhat, a 33-year old Armed Forces enlisted personnel tagged as a member of the ‘Rigo-Magbuhat Drug Group’ and a high-value individual in the regional watchlist of the Bicol police died during the firefight in Barangay Inamnam in Pequeño, Guinobatan municipality around 12:40 a.m. Thursday.

Recovered from the slain suspect’s possession were around two grams of shabu worth P13,600, a hand grenade, a caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine, a wallet containing several identification cards and a smart phone.

Brig. Gen. Dimas also spearheaded a recent anti-narcotics operation in Manila which netted nearly a ton of high-grade shabu and a rogue PNP-DEG agent and his civilian cohort who are now both facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of dangerous drugs. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, Gen. Azurin told me.

Last Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Dimas announced the arrest of four top drug targets in Bicol following two separate buy-bust operations which led in the seizure of over P3.5 million worth of shabu. The suspects were identified as Nerissa Belga,40; Gian Carlo Banzagales,26; Arvie Bautista,25; and John Eric del Rosario,22.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Alba reported the arrest on Tuesday of a known top drug personality in Central Visayas after he sold some P374,000 worth of shabu to an undercover officer in Lapu-Lapu City. Ronnel Jardio, a 38-year old resident of Sitio Looc in Bgy. Maribago in Lapu-Lapu City yielded an estimated 55 grams of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ worth P374,000 and the buy-bust money.