THERE will be no ‘re-inveinting the wheels’ for new National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Major General Felipe R. Natividad, a known nemesis of the Abu Sayyaf and other Enemies of the State who has vowed to sustain the gains and other programs by his predecessor, new Philippine National Police The Chief Directorial Staff (TCDS), incoming Lieutenant Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr.

“We will sustain the gains made by the NCRPO under Gen. Danao gaya nung itinuloy ko lang yung lahat ng nasimulan niya nung palitan ko siya sa Calabarzon police,” the member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Bigkis Lahi’ Class of 1990 told the Journal Group.

Natividad was the one who replaced Danao at the Police Regional Office 4-A shortly after the latter was named NCRPO chief on November 10, 2020. On May 10 last year, Natividad was designated PNP Special Action Force director and replaced by his mistah, incoming Maj. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz who is now the new PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director.

Last March 1, PNP chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos designated Brig. Gen. Patrick T. Villacorte as the new PNP-SAF director vice Natividad.

“Kapag meron tayong nakitang flaws and loopholes, that’s the time we will improve. There will be no new programs. I just simply follow what started,” the new NCRPO chief said even as he called on the citizenry to continue giving them valuable information that would lead to successful anti-criminality operations and at the same time help reform the force.

Retiring from the police force on August 23, 2023, Maj. Gen. Natividad is a known stickler for discipline who emphasized the need to continue the PNP’s internal cleansing program in the more than 32,000-strong metropolitan police force.

“If we have a very disciplined police force, we will be able to give quality service in the community,” he said. Natividad added that under him, there will be a continuing ‘reward and punishment’ program that will cover all NCRPO officers and men.

Maj. Gen. Natividad expressed his gratitude to incoming Lt. Gen. Danao for successfully leading the NCRPO in its massive anti-criminality and internal cleansing program over the past 16 months.

Danao expressed his gratitude to Team NCRPO when he relinquished his post to Natividad. “Together , we have transformed Metro Manila from epicenter of criminality and Covid 19 to epicenter of peace and prosperity,” he said.

For his part, Natividad thanked President Duterte, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año and Gen. Carlos for their continued trust and confidence on him.

“Ang nais ko lang mangyari ay magtrabaho tayo ng maayos at tama. Hindi lamang para satin at sa ating pamilya, sa ating organisasyon, sa ating mga kababayan at sa ating bansa. Let us put our hearts out and step the best foot forward in everything that we do,” he told his men.

Natividad pressed for the continuity of the good programs of his predecessors.

“If I were to be asked what will be the direction of my leadership, the NCRPO is the show window of the entire Philippine National Police, being located at the center of commerce, most accessible,” he said.

“If we want to introduce change in our unit, accomplish greater things for our country, and if we want to deliver on it our mandate, it all starts with the quality of police officers we have,” he added.

Natividad was a former director of the Bohol Police Provincial Office who gained prominence for leading his men in neutralizing a group of heavily-armed Abu Sayyaf bandits who slipped into the province in 2017.

With the help of the military, the Bohol police foiled a plot by 11 Abu Sayyaf militants to kidnap a number of targets in Inabanga municipality. An initial gunbattle left four armed terrorists dead and triggered a month-long manhunt operation that led in the neutralization of the remaining bandits.

A former chief of the PNP-CIDG intelligence division, Natividad also became a Senior Police Assistant to DILG Sec. Año.

As NCRPO chief, he will be in full command of the Manila, Quezon City and Eastern, Northern and Southern Police Districts which are now currently busy enforcing a Metro Manila-wide gun ban amid the new normal. NCRPO agents have also made a series of major anti-drug accomplishments over the past two weeks.

Natividad has started conducting surprise inspections of different NCRPO facilities since last week. In his recent visit to the NPD headquarters, he called on his men to be role models of the community and the entire police force.

“Magtrabaho tayo nang maayos at tama, magsilbi tayo sa community, isapuso natin ang disiplina. Let us put everything in to our hearts. Para lahat ng gagawin natin maganda at tama. We cannot make things perfect, but we can make it right” he said.

Natividad has also reminded the public to continue observing the required minimum public health standards despite the lowering of the COVID-19 alert level in Metro Manila or there may be another possible virus surge if people will be lax in following the rules.

He issued the appeal as the OCTA Research warned of a possible new surge of COVID-19 9 if the public will not be cautious and will fail to observe existing minimum health standards.

Natividad added that to address the problem, they are boosting their preparedness to reactivate boarder control checkpoints and deployment for possible granular lockdowns.

“We are hoping that the public will not take this lightly and will choose to be vigilant with their surroundings by observing the minimum health standards set to curb the proliferation of the deadly virus in our community despite the continuous downgrading of alert levels in the country. Let us do this not only for ourselves and our family but more so for the whole community,” the NCRPO chief said.

NCRPO personnel since last March 1 have warned more than 3,000 violators of minimum public health safety standards. Nearly 900 others were also ordered to pay fines for violation of local ordinances in their areas.

Since last January 9, more than 600 gun ban violators have also been arrested by the NCRPO

Natividad said that since the gun ban started, they have also not recorded any single election-related incident in the metropolis where they continue to enforce minimum health safety protocols imposed by the government to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. As a result, he said that his men have cautioned 12,860 unvaccinated individuals for various infractions.

According to the NCRPO chief, more than 400 were arrested during police patrols/responses and nearly 600 during the conduct of Oplan: Sita; Oplan: Bakal, Oplan: Galugad and buy-bust operations.

Another 39 were caught with illegal weapons in checkpoints; four during the implementation of search warrants for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013; and four during the service of warrants of arrest.

The suspects are now facing charges for violation of RA 10591 in relation to the Omnibus Election Code.

Natividad said there have been a total a total of 14,302 PNP-Comelec-Armed Forces checkpoints in the metropolis over the past two months which resulted in the seizure of 234 firearms, 67 home-made guns and replicas, 324 bladed/pointed weapons, one grenade, 13 explosives/Improvised Explosive Devices and 2,760 assorted live ammunition.

Natividad lauded his men for doing their job well even as he called on the public to continue cooperating with the police force and bear with inconveniences they may suffer as a result of the checkpoints.

He also called on all NCRPO personnel to do their job according to prescribed rules and regulations. “Mag trabaho tayo ng maayos at tama at laging ilagay sa puso ang disiplina,” he said.