PNP’s ‘Last 17 Mohicans’
BEFORE I begin, let me thank the Lord Almighty for the abundant blessings in my life. He really has given me more than I ever dreamed possible and I am really so grateful. He really has provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. He has given me family and friends who always look out for me, who continue to bless me every day with kind words and actions.
And now to my main topic, I’m referring to the Last 17 Mohicans or the last 17 graduates of the Philippine Military Academy who will soon bow out of the Philippine National Police admit it or not.
Having covered the last year of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police and the birth of the PNP in 1991, I have been a dear friend to countless Peemayers-dead or living- who have served the country with courage and dedication.
I still remember those days in 1990 when a man called ‘Hari-Hari’ or then General Cesar Nazareno was still the PC-INP chief before he became the first PNP chief on March 31, 1991 until he left the force in August 1992.
During those days, the PNP was being ruled by upperclassmen of PNP chief General Rommel Marbil from PMA Classes 1960 up. It was during those days when the Peemayers commanded the police force from top-to-bottom-starting from the generals at Camp Crame to the PNP Regional Directors, the Provincial Directors, Commanding Officers of Mobile Groups and Station Commanders in Metro Manila and other parts of the country down to chiefs of CIDG/HPG/IG divisions and other district or provincial PNP units and offices.
It was during those days when many members of the Last 4 PMA Classes in the PNP or Classes 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992- served as aide-de-camps to their upperclassmen. Thirty-four years later, their number is down to 17 with the retirement on Saturday of Deputy Chief for Administration Lieutenant General Emmanuel Peralta, who happened to be a classmate of Gen. Marbil from PMA ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991.
Peralta has been the PNP’s no. 2 man since February 1 this year until August 24, 2024. He also used to be the PNP Chief Directorial Staff and was a former Police Regional Office 1 director a PNP Director for Information and Communication Technology and later Director for Operations and a Southern Police District director. Those positions were really not bad at all.
With his retirement, there are now 17 Peemayers in the police force led by Gen. Marbil who will be retiring on February 7, 2025. Two other members of Gen. Marbil’s Command Group are also set to retire this year. PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Mike Dubria, the PNP’s no. 3 man, will retire on December 20 while PNP Directorial Staff chief Lt. Gen. Jon Arnaldo will leave the police force this coming October 3.
Generals Marbil, Peralta, Dubria and Arnaldo have two more classmates in the active service: PNP Director for Comptrollership is Major Gen. Neil Alinsangan, who will retire on September 5, 2025, and Lt. Gen. Robert Rodriguez, the Area Police Command-Visayas commander, who will bow from the service on July 15, 2025
While there is still no word on who will replace Peralta as the no. 2 man of the police force, Rodriguez is considered a top pick to join the PNP Command Group since he is already a 3-star general. Alinsangan however is nearing his 55th birthday and has less than two weeks to get a promotion to the next higher rank should he make it.
The remaining member of PMA ‘Bigkis Lahi’ Class of 1990 in the PNP is Major Gen. Ato Bisnar, a former PNP-TCDS who will retire this coming September 30. Apart from the seven, there are only 11 remaining members of PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 in the PNP, the youngest of them Maj. Gen. Tateng Nartatez, director of the National Capital Region Police Office, who will retire on March 19, 2027.
The other members of the PMA Class 1992 who will retire in 2026 are Maj. Gen. Bernie Banac, currently the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao commander (September 26); Maj. Gen. Patrick Obinque, the PNP Director for Intelligence (May 9); and Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay, the PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management (September 21).
Retiring in 2025 are Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia, the PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management (October 20); Maj. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, the PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (September 2); Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco, the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director (October 2); and Major Gen. Ronald O. Lee (May 5).
Members of PMA Class 1992 who will retire this year are Maj. Gen. Bong Caramat, the Area Police Command-Northern Luzon commander (October 2); Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, the Area Police Command-Southern Luzon commander (November 25); and Maj. Gen. Mario Reyes, the PNP Director for Logistics (December 1).
It’s also a fact that the decision of President Bongbong Marcos last month to veto the PNP Reorganization and MUP Bills which will adjust the PNP uniformed personnel’s retirement age to 57 has affected more than 40 star-rank officials, among them the Peemayers who will retire this year.
Unless the President changes his decision and considers the amended legislation into among the top priority bills this year, the MUP and Reorganization Bills are expected to be further delayed with Congress set to go on recess soon and everybody busy with the forthcoming May 12, 2025 mid-term elections. That scenario will likewise affect other Peemayers and other PNP generals who will retire in 2025 but benefit those who will retire in 2026 up.
