NEWLY-DESIGNATED acting Philippine National Police Deputy Chief for Administration Lieutenant General Emmanuel B. Peralta yesterday joined his mistah, Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda, in calling for a united police force that will truly ‘serve and protect’ the Filipino people and fight any effort to undermine the Constitution and its duly-constituted authorities.

Gen. Acorda described his classmate from Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 as a ‘respected leader who showcases a profound commitment to our collective mission.” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the designation of Lt. Gen. Peralta as the new PNP’s no. 2 man and incoming Lt. Gen. Jon A. Arnaldo as the Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the PNP Chief of Directorial Staff.

Lt. Gen. Michael John F. Dubria was retained as PNP Deputy Chief for Operations. Dubria and Arnaldo are also PMA Class 1991 members..Lt. Gen. Peralta and Major Gen. Arnaldo officially assumed their new positions yesterday.

“As I formally assume my designation as the Acting Deputy Chief,PNP for Administration, I would like to take this opportunity to urge each one of you, my fellow public servants in the police service that amidst the diverse issues and challenges we have faced in the past months, let us be reminded of our primary duty as law enforcers: to serve and protect the Filipino people,” the new PNP-DCA said during the flag-raising rites at Camp Crame.

“As we discharge our solemn duty, our allegiance should be firmly devoted to upholding the Constitution and forever loyal and supportive of our government and to our Commander-in-chief.

“In line with this, I call upon every member of the organization, from senior officers to junior officers, non-commissioned police officers and non-uniformed personnel, regardless of your position, to stand as one unified police force and support the duly-constituted authorities, because again, it is the welfare of the Filipino people that matters most,” he added.

Maj. Gen. Arnaldo will be assisting the PNP chief in managing all 11 PNP Directorial Staffs composed of the Directorates for Personnel and Records Management, Intelligence, Operations, Logistics, Plans, Comptrollership, Police-Community Relations, Investigation and Detective Management, Human Resource and Doctrine Development, Research and Development and Information Communications Technology Management.

Lt. Gen. Peralta is a former Southern Police District director and later Police Regional Office 1 director in Ilocos-Pangasinan region while Arnaldo used to be the Area Police Command-Northern Luzon commander.

PNP AGAINST MINDANAO SECESSION

Citing the thousands of lives lost by police and military troops in fighting secessionist movement in Mindanao since the 70s, Acorda said he is 100 percent confident that all members of the 228,000-strong police force are against any attempt to dismember the Republic.

“Sa history ng ating bansa, napakaraming buhay na ang na-sacrificed in defense of our country and these are all defined in our constitution: our territory, our sovereignty, so it’s not good that after all the sacrifices of our heroes and other kababayans, that now we’re enjoying peace, if there are any move to secede, parang hindi maganda,” he said.

Gen. Acorda said he doesn’t want to be an alarmist but admitted there might be trouble in the event the move pushes thru.

“it would only be magulo, baka hindi natin kayanin. Ang maganda diyan is let’s be united, let’s not entertain this call. Our President, the SILG and other heads of agencies and kababayans in Mindanao, they are not in favor of this,” he said.

The top cop said the police force has also its own share of fabled history in fighting secessionist and separatist movements and other lawlessness in Mindanao. “Pulis at sundalo ang unang nagbubuwis ng buhay pag me ganyang secessionist movement. We have our own share and traditionally and historically, ang PNP ay kasama na sa ganyang pagtatanggol sa bayan. Thus, I am very confident that PNP is 100 percent confident na ayaw sa secessionist move. What is embodied in our constitution, what is defined in our territory we will keep that,” he told newsmen at Camp Crame.

Gen. Acorda said right now, there’s no cause for alarm as everybody have already said their piece.

However, he said that he has instructed all Mindanao police commanders to remain committed to their job to protect the Constitution and the duly-constituted authorities.

“I have told my commanders that we have taken our oath, that we are supposedly apolitical. Kung meron mang political affiliations ang ibang grupo, hindi dapat sasama ang kapulisan doon,” he said.