IT’S time again to thank the men and women of the 228,000-strong police force headed by General Benjie Acorda for their service to the nation. In fact, I was present when Senate President Migz Zubiri thanked the police force for their great service to the country during the 122nd Police Service Anniversary at Camp Crame.

Bigwigs and other VIPs were present during the occasion which was made more memorable by the presence of the Senate president. I also saw three former PNP chiefs, namely Generals Sonny Razon, Nick Bartolome and Dionards Carlos during the event.

However, conspicuously missing during the occasion was DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos or any other Napolcom representative. I made the observation as it was customary for the DILG chief or any of his representative to grave the anniversary of the police force which is under the administrative supervision of the DILG.

Gen. Acorda enumerated the following major accomplishments scored by the organization despite the countless challenges they have faced since the start of the Bongbong Marcos presidency. First, he bared a significant 6.87 percent decrease in the overall Peace and Order Indicator as reflected in their 1st Semester Crime Situation Report.

The report said that the Index and Non-Index Crime Volume both went down by 9.52 percent and 6.23 percent with 2.55 percent and 3.74 percent decrease in Index Crime Clearance Efficiency and Index Crime Solution Efficiency respectively.

From July 2022 to June 2023, the police force also accounted for 84,663 wanted individuals; seized 50,106 loose firearms; neutralized 367 criminal gangs with 2,355 of their members now in jail; and confiscated an estimated P16.9 billion pesos worth of illegal drugs.

It should also be noted that the PNP is really modernizing thru their Capability Enhancement Program or CEP. At present, Gen. Acorda said that they have a 52.83 percent fill-up on their mobility assets, a 74.68 percent firepower fill-up; a 28.43 percent fill-up for communication equipment; a 24.61 percent fill-up for Internal Security Operations/Terrorism Tools; and a 61.98 percent fill-up for investigative equipment.

Additionally, he said they have taken significant strides to improve frontline police services, completing 140 buildings and facilities, encompassing police station buildings, provincial offices, and other essential infrastructures, all of which the PNP chief credited to PBBM’s invaluable support.

The PNP Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) headed by Colonel Romy Macapaz of PNP Academy Class 1995 emerged as the biggest winner during the event after it was chosen, for the 3rd straight year as the PNP’s Best National Operational Support Unit.

The other awardees in Tuesday’s celebration were the Police Regional Office 1 which was cited as the Best Regional Office of the Year; the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office as Best PPO; the Bacolod City Police Office as Best City Police Office; the Sorsogon City Police Station as Best Component City Police Station; the Isulan Municipal Police Station in Region 12 as Best Municipal Police Station; the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the Police Regional Office 4-A as Best RMFB; the Camarines Sur 1st Provincial Mobile Force of the PRO5 as Best PMFC; the General Santos City Mobile Force of the PRO12 as Best City Mobile Force; the PNP-IG as NOSU of the Year; and the PNP Finance Service as the National Administrative Support Unit of the Year.

The PRO1 is headed by Brigadier Gen. Alden Delvo while the PNP-FS is headed by Brig. Gen. Joey Masauding. Delvo is a classmate from PNPA Class 1995 of Col. Macapaz while Masauding is from PNPA Class 1994.

Congratulations are really in order for the he PNP-IG which scored the ‘grandslam’ in the PSA after emerging best among the other contenders for the award when it comes to operational and administrative accomplishments scored from April 2022 to March 2023.

During the period, the PNP-IG provided the ‘intelligence packet’ which enabled the police force to account for 2,255 members of different Threat Groups, 1,040 Most Wanted Persons, 637 Other Criminal Elements, 295 Illegal Drug Personalities and 36 rogues in uniform amid the ongoing PNP internal cleansing drive.

The Unit was also behind the neutralization or surrender of 277 Local Terrorist Group members, many of them most wanted leaders, sub-leaders and members of the Abu Sayyaf, Dawlah Islamiyah and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters known for their involvement in a series of terror attacks, kidnappings-for-ransom, gun-for-hire and multiple murder cases in Mindanao.

Those operations likewise resulted in the seizure of a big number of high-powered firearms and ammunition and explosives. The PNP-IG was also cited for its role in the surrender of a huge number of New People’s Army leaders and members across the country who also turned over their weapons and ammunition as well as improvised explosive devices to the unit.

During the period, the PNP-IG also accounted for 1,040 Most Wanted Persons, 21 of them the subject of reward money offered by both the Department of National Defense and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The 21 MWPs are facing non-bailable offenses ranging from multiple rape, murder and illegal possession of drugs and firearms. A total of P3.055 million was offered by the DND-DILG for the arrest of the 21.

Also arrested as a result of the information provided by the PNP-IG during the period were 371 Regonal MWPs, 481 Provincial MWPs, 119 City MWPs and 48 Municipal MWPs. It was also cited for its role in the neutralization of 295 drug personalities and the seizure of some P28.5 million worth of shabu and the destruction of nearly P88 million worth of fully-grown marijuana plants and seedlings during a series of anti-cannabis operations in Cordillera region.

When it comes to counter-intelligence, the PNP-IG was cited for its effort to account for 36 erring personnel amid the intensified campaign against misfits and scalawags in the police force ordered by Gen. Acorda.

During the period, officers of the unit developed the ‘intelligence packet’ which resulted in the arrest of the 36 targets including a police colonel wanted for six counts of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide in Western Visayas; a Lieutenant Colonel wanted for violation of the anti- child abuse law; a police master sergeant wanted for kidnapping with homicide case in Bicol; and a patrolman wanted for ‘sextortion’ in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.