I’M referring to an old friend, the late General Miguel ‘Mike’ Coronel, who passed away on Friday last week after a battle with pneumonia. The official known for his ‘word of honor’ was 78.

Having covered the national police force since its establishment in 1991, I happened to be one of the very few active journalists who knew and understand Sir Mike. To the uninformed, the retired Police Major General became known for making true his promise he will resign as Central Luzon police director should he fail to stop ‘jueteng’ in the region within six months.

Yes, he was the first and only Police Regional Office 3 director who vowed he will resign if he will fail to stop the illegal numbers’ game in the region. I still remember that day in 1996 when Gen. Coronel told the entire country he will resign as PRO3 director if he will fail to stop ‘jueteng’ in Central Luzon within six months.

He did exactly what he had promised and resigned his post with his head up high six months after, earning him accolades from then DILG chief-my friend and former basketball mate-the late Sec. Bobby Barbers for his ‘sense of delicadeza and Palabra de Honor.’

A member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Magiting’ Class of 1970, Coronel ‘s remains were brought to the PNP Mortuary in Camp Crame. He was honored by his family, relatives, friends, classmates and former colleagues ahead of the 123rd Police Service Anniversary.

Coronel was a commissioner of the National Police Commission during the former Macapagal-Arroyo administration. He retired in 2002 as PNP Director for Operations after helping his mistah, then PNP chief, now Zambales Governor Jun Ebdane in supervising all police activities concerning operations, employment and deployment of personnel nationwide.

Gen. Coronel also used to be a former PRO6 director in Western Visayas police director, a PNP Director for Logistics in 1999 and a PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management.

After retiring from the police service, he joined the National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Coordinating Center which is the forerunner of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and later became a Napolcom Commissioner during the sting of Sec. Ronnie Puno as DILG chief and concurrent Napolcom chairman. He also was once an Executive Director of the Dangerous Drugs Board and a chief of the Anti-Smuggling Intelligence and Investigation Center.

Many of his former colleagues and underclassmen remember Gen. Coronel who was in 1988 was chosen as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines as a ‘true officer and a gentleman’ who valued his principles and sworn oath.

“A man with really a word of honor. That’s him,” PNP Director for Intelligence, Major Gen. Westrimundo D. Obinque told me. Obinque, a member of PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 was the aide-de-camp of then Chief Superintendent Coronel when the latter was designated as Central Luzon police director in 1996.

Obinque said that shortly after assuming his post, Coronel told the public he will leave his post if he will fail to stop ‘jueteng’ in Central Luzon within six months. After 180 days, Coronel tendered his resignation to then PNP chief, Gen. Recaredo Sarmiento.

Maj. Gen. Obinque described Coronel as ‘very straightforward’ and an officer who wants no error when it comes to documentation. “He wants all our papers to be perfect. For him, there is really no room for excuse when it comes to documents,” the official said.

But most importantly, the PNP-DI head said Gen. Coronel made true all his promises including his vow to resign as RD if he fails to stop the illegal numbers’ game in Central Luzon, the 1st and so far the only one official who made the promise and kept it.

Retired Police Major Gen. Celso Pestaño of PMA ‘Maringal’ Class of 1988 also told me he used to be a junior officer of the Iloilo Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police when Coronel was its commander.

“He is a true gentleman and a statesman who really valued honor,” said the retired official who, as an officer of the Regional Special Action Force in Region 6 worked under the operational control of Coronel when the latter was the Negros Occidental PC/INP commander.

Coronel commanded the Aklan, Iloilo and Negros Occidental PC/INP Commands during his younger days when the New People’s Army still had a considerable presence and influence in the country. He was also a consistent Cavalier Awardee, during his young Academy days and in active service.

His combat experience later prompted him to write the Pro-Democracy People’s War , a 768-page book in 1991. The book which is all about the war against communist insurgency became a ‘must-read’ for all police and military officers undergoing schooling and used as a primary manual on insurgency and counter-insurgency.

Gen. Coronel whose many awards and decorations include being named as Provincial Commander of the Year in 1987; a PC Officer of the Year in 1988; and as PNP Staff Officer of the Year in 1991, devoted the rest of his life to Mama Mary. My heartfelt condolences and prayers to his United States-based wife Winifreda and children Vanessa and Mark.