NEW Philippine National Police Director for Police-Community Relations Major General Edgar Alan O. Okubo yesterday said he intends to implement the highly-successful Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay or R-PSB program nationwide in order for the police to further win the hearts and minds of the people.

According to the police official PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. has given him the go-signal to have the R-PSB concept fully institutionalized by the police force.

Okubo said in his first staff conference last Friday that he will also streamline PCR compliances and rationalize PCR programs to significantly unburden personnel in the field.

“Programs will be measured in terms of outcome rather than number of output,” he said.

Okubo said that in terms of Counter White Area Operations programs of the government, he also intends to closely work with the PNP Directorate for Intelligence and their counterparts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to have an efficient and comprehensive data on different sectors aligned with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army.

The official said they will be focused on activities with the communities before and during the July 24 State-of-the-Nation-Address by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.

To start the ball rolling, the official said his goal is to fully implement the R-PSB program nationwide and eradicate insurgency in so-called Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas or GIDAS in some parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The move will also help address drug affectation, the 8 Focused Crimes and the presence of CPP/NDF/NPA ‘fronts’ and underground organizations in urban areas.

He also expressed his commitment to strategize the R-PSB program in Samar to end the ‘last bastion of insurgency’ in Eastern Visayas region.

Last Friday, Acorda led the turnover of command between Maj. Gen. Okubo and Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Gen. Acorda expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Maj. Gen. Okubo for his commitment, dedication and exceptional leadership during his tenure as Metro Manila police chief.

The top cop said that Okubo’s tenure was characterized by his tireless pursuit of justice, steadfast loyalty to the organization, and devotion to the service of the country and its people.

His strong sense of duty and passion for upholding the law served as the guiding force behind the NCRPO’s numerous accomplishments, he added.

He highlighted Okubo’s emphasis on organizational goals over personal ambition even as he reminded everyone that as law enforcement officers, their purpose were not to protect and serve themselves but to serve and protect their fellow citizens.

Retiring on May 21, 2026, Okubo brought two major programs in to help further bring back the trust and confidence of the public to the Metro Manila police force, the Journal Group learned.

A known stickler for discipline, the official launched the R-PSB program and the Quality Service Lane or QSL program in all Metro Manila police districts, stations and police-community precincts during his stint as NCRPO director.

To ensure that police will be able to concentrate to people in need, Okubo also ordered the removal of television sets hanging on the walls of lobbies of different NCRPO police stations and PCPs.

Under him, over 450 policewomen who have underwent Customers Relations’ training were sent to different Metro Manila police stations and precincts where they were assigned as new desk sergeants-cum Customer Relation Officers.

The policewomen replaced the male desk officers who have been sent to patrol duties instead.

He also launched the same program at the PNP-SAF last year, enabling the SAF to ‘win the hearts and minds’ of the people while going all-out against terrorists and other enemies of the state.

The R-PSB program has seen PRO11 and PNP-SAF troopers building roads, small bridges, artesian wells, water system, schools and even small churches while providing government service to the poorest of the poor, especially to those living in geographically-isolated and disadvantageous areas of the country.

One of the youngest members of PNPA Class 1992, Okubo first saw action in the field as a young officer of the 466th Mobile Force Company in Misamis Occidental, which was then under the PNP Regional Command 9.

He also served as company commander of the PNP-SAF’s 21st Special Action Company in 1995 and the SAF’s Deep Reconnaissance Company in 1997.

Known for his insatiable thirst for improvement and strong leadership, Okubo also held the following positions: group director of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Mobile Group, company commander of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Mobile Public Safety Company, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office 1 in Ilocos-Pangasinan region and Cebu Provincial Police Office director in 2018.

He also became chief of staff of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in 2019. Okubo is known as a highly-decorated officer and a recipient of over 200 PNP medals, awards and other decorations, including the PNP Medalya ng Katapangan or PNP Medal of Bravery, the 4th highest award in the police force in 2000.

He is also a recipient of the PNP Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting after being wounded in action.

The new NCRPO chief held the record of being the Best Police Commissioned Officer for Operations (Regional Level) from 2009, 2010 and 2011 in PRO3 in Central Luzon and got the same award in PRO1 in Ilocos-Pangasinan region in 2017.

He has also been awarded by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption as the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year 2010; Outstanding Police Officer of the Year 2010 by the National Police Commission; one of the Top 8 Outstanding Police Officer of 2011 by the JBT Foundation; and one of the winners of the Metrobank’s Search for the Country’s Outstanding Police Officers in Service in 2013.

It was him and Lt. Gen. Escobal who conceptualized the PRO11’s R-PSB program which is a strategic concept to fight insurgency and ensure peace, progress and economic growth in Southern Mindanao and the rest of the country.

The R-PSB program was seen and appreciated by the public and even prompted Davao Oriental Representative Joel Mayo Almario to file House Bill No. 7348 entitled An Act Institutionalizing the Revitalized Barangay Police Program.

Okubo thanked all officers, men and women of the Metro Manila police force for supporting him during his brief stint as NCRPO director and said he is eagerly looking forward to working with his DPCR family.

“With that, I will carry on the instruction of the Chief PNP to institutionalize the R-PSB program nationwide. This will be the driving program on his focus agenda particularly on community engagement and to completely end insurgency in the country,” he said.

Under him, R-PSB personnel will be sent to ‘live with the people, eat with the people and work with the people in the barangay.’ He said that the program aims to sustain the gains of the government programs, prevent the resurgence of insurgency and insulate the unaffected communities.

Okubo said the R-PSB program in Metro Manila was particularly successful in urban areas specifically in Barangay 166 in Caloocan City.

R-PSB personnel were able to convince informal settlers occupying a 320-meter road of the Mindanao Avenue Extension for more than 20 years to relocate in order to allow the Department of Public Works and Highways to link the Mindanao Avenue Extension State 2 project. The informal settlers were known to have agitated by several leftist groups before.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon