POLICE GENERAL’S DISGRACEFUL ACT
I’M referring to retiring Police Brigadier General Carlito Gaces who snubbed the scheduled turnover of command ceremonies at the Police Regional Office 4-A in Calabarzon region last Tuesday afternoon without giving any valid reason at all.
Prior to that ‘infamous snub,’ all important personalities led by PNP chief, General Benjie Acorda were already present at the PRO4-A headquarters in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City in Laguna.
The top cop, incoming PRO4-A director, Brig. Gen. Kenneth Lucas, other top Camp Crame and Calabarzon police officers and Calabarzon local government officials were present at the PRO4-A grandstand except for the outgoing PRO4-A director in the person of Gaces.
Gaces’ failure to show up at the scheduled PRO4-A turnover of command and pass the PRO4-A baton of leadership to Brig. Gen. Lucas prompted Gen. Acorda to order Brig. Gen. Lucas to just assume his post. In the end, Gaces became the talk of the town with top PNP officials and his fellow PNP Academy graduates questioning his lack of professionalism.
Hours before the ‘snub,’ I joined Gen. Acorda and some top PNP officials in an early morning breakfast at Camp Crame. Retired Generals Nestor Quinsay and Gilbert Sosa were also there but we have to hurry since Gen. Acorda told us he’s going to Crow Valley in Tarlac to grace the destruction of IEDs and World War 2 bombs recovered by the police and then head straight to PRO4-A for the turnover of command between Brig. Gen. Lucas and Gaces.
I later learned that Gaces snubbed the rites including the retirement honors prepared for him by the PRO4-A. Many top Calabarzon officials said that Gaces last talked to them on Friday last week and did not make any hint he will not attend the turnover rites.
As of yesterday, there is still no information on why Gaces–whose stint as PRO4-A director since last April had been marked by a number of major controversies– snubbed the PRO4-A ceremonies which prompted sighs and smirks from top PNP officials as well as Calabarzon uniformed and non-uniformed personnel and other guests. There were no medical emergencies or other acceptable reasons offered by the official who will retire from the police force this coming October 15.
It was really disappointing, a really ‘shameful act,’ one official present in the area told me. Just imagine the many hours of preparations, the amount spent for the supposed to be solemn activity and the tired bodies of PRO4-A men who practiced their march just to honor their outgoing RD, he told me.a
Most importantly, the official said that by snubbing the event, Gaces did not only snub Gen. Acorda and his classmates from PNPA ‘Patnubay’ Class of 1995 led by Brig. Gen. Lucas but also snubbed everybody and showed his true colors, his lack of professionalism.
It was really the 1st time in recent history that an outgoing Regional Director snubbed a turnover of command ceremonies. In some cases, officials were asked to merely assume their new positions upon the request of their predecessors. I also have not encountered outgoing RDs skipping such major event to see for the last time his superiors and subordinates while still in police uniform.
Everybody must also be informed that Gen. Acorda used a police helicopter to fly from Crow Valley to the PRO4-A headquarters just in time for the turnover rites. Thus, it would be natural for everybody including the top cop to be dismayed by the Gaces snub.
When he briefly talked on the stage, Gen. Acorda reminded everybody that as professional police officers, every policeman must remember to honor their uniform at all times and see to it that they will act accordingly when the situation, like last Tuesday, demands.
In the end, Brig. Gen. Lucas assumed his new post minus the traditional solemn ceremonies involving of course Gaces who was expected by many to act professionally in relinquishing his position to his classmate and presenting to the latter the PRO4-A property book before being given retirement honors which did not materialize.
What could have been a fine picture showing Gen. Acorda leading the turnover of command between Brig. Gen. Lucas and Gaces did not materialize in the absence of the latter. That was really very unprofessional, a disgraceful act, other generals both from the PMA and the PNPA told me. Some PNPA graduates or ‘Lakans’ also told me they were really ashamed of what Gaces had done.
Gen. Acorda earlier named Brig. Generals Lucas and Ricky Layug Jr. as the new regional directors of PRO4-A and PRO10 in Northern Mindanao region respectively.
Brig. Gen. Lucas, the erstwhile director of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office will now be supervising all police efforts to enforce the law and keep peace and order in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
Lucas was replaced as PNP-FEO director by Brig. Gen. Roger Quezada, the erstwhile Deputy Regional Director for Administration of the PRO5 in Bicol region. Quezada is a member of PNPA Class 1992.
On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Layug of PNPA Class 1993 will be taking over as the new PRO10 director vice newly-retired Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop of PNPA Class 1991 who headed the Northern Mindanao police force since August last year.
Layug, the erstwhile director of the PNP Engineering Service will be commanding the PRO10 which has jurisdiction over the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Camiguin and Lanao del Norte.
Layug’s deputy, Colonel Florendo Gerdan was designated as Officer-in-Charge of the PNP -ES for the meantime while the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board is still deliberating on the matter, I was told.
