RETIRING on November 25, 2024, Major General Jonnel C. Estomo was the erstwhile National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director who suddenly became a serious contender to replace retiring Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. after he was named PNP Deputy Chief for Operations last February.

A member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992, Maj. Gen. Estomo’s designation as the 3rd highest official of the 227,000-strong police force catapulted him as one of the top contenders to replace Gen. Azurin who will be retiring from the force on April 24.

Active and retired police officials said the PNP chief must possess the competency and integrity to handle the job as he will be answerable to both the PNP’s internal and external audience. He should have the dogged determination to do the job, the needed track record and service reputation, a ton of contribution to the country’s peace and order campaign, and most importantly, the loyalty to the Constitution and the duly-constituted authorities.

However, it should also be considered that the President’s trust and confidence will always play a major role in his decision plus the recommendation from his most trusted lieutenants and security officers including Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr.

Prior to that, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. approved a recommendation by Gen. Azurin to designate Estomo as the regional director of the Metro Manila police force.

In case he is picked by the Commander-in-Chief as Gen. Azurin’s successor, Maj. Gen. Estomo will be the PNP chief for 19 months.

A no-nonsense officer with a good sense of humor, Maj. Gen. Estomo is known for being one of the distinguished and finest officers produced by PMA Class 1992.

Born on November 25, 1968 in Tagbilaran City in Bohol, the official became a known combat officer in Mindanao and Luzon areas since graduating from Fort del Pilar. He is also a seasoned operational and administrative officer and a well-decorated police official, getting service medals and other decorations for efficiency, merit and outstanding achievements as a member of the police force.

Estomo was the chief of the Pangasinan Criminal Investigation and Detection Team when it was named as the Best Provincial CIDT during the 56th founding anniversary of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in 2009.

In 2011, he was adjudged as the Best Senior Police Commissioned Officer during the CIDG’s 57th founding anniversary.

Under him, the Cavite Police Provincial Office was adjudged as the Best Provincial Office during the 114th Police Service Anniversary in 2015.

He also received an award as the Best Senior Police Commissioned Officer for Administration during the 116th PNP Anniversary in 2017.

Maj. Gen. Estomo also became a Cavalier Awardee for Police Operations in 2018, chosen by a distinguished panel from the PMA Alumni Association, Inc. on that year.

A well-decorated officer, he has proven his worth as director of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5) in Bicol region and later the NCRPO in Metro Manila.

As PNP-AKG director, Estomo has been cited for leading the unit’s successful effort to arrest kidnapping-for-ransom activities in the country. Under him, the PNP-AKG became known for its successful fight versus organized kidnapping gangs specifically foreign syndicates and their Filipino cohorts who have gained notoriety for targeting POGO workers and casino players from Asia.

It was Maj. Gen. Estomo as PNP-AKG director when the unit established itself as a leading force in the campaign against kidnapping-for-ransom gangs, arrested hundreds of wanted persons, neutralizing dozens of notorious kidnappers and getting their captives alive in risky rescue operations.

The PNP-AKG under Estomo effectively addressed kidnappings-for-ransom in the country amid efforts by culprits to devise new methods and use technology to carry out their capers.

Under him, the PNP-AKG partnered with the AKG Advisory Group to formulate anti-kidnapping strategies and legislative measures to fight the menace using the ‘whole-of-government approach.’

He was also a main contributor to the selection of the PRO5 in Bicol region as the Best Police Regional Office during the 121st Police Service.

The Bicol police regional office was also recognized for its excellent Unit Performance Evaluation Rating (UPER) in January, February, August and October 2002,

The monthly UPER parameters include measuring the implementation of discipline, law and order; conduct of recruitment and selection process; ensuring personnel morale and welfare; human resource actions on placement and promotion; management of personnel and records; and personnel plans and policies.

As Metro Manila police director from August 2022 to last February, Maj. Gen. Estomo became known for launching his S.A.F.E. program which is short for a Metro Manila police force that must be ‘Seen, Appreciated and Felt by the people thru their Extraordinary good deeds round-the-clock.

The strategic program was launched by Estomo to ensure the safety and protection of the Metro Manila community against criminal elements 24/7.

He made it clear that such formula will remain his guiding principle during the rest of his police service.

“SAFE NCRPO, a police organization that is Seen, Appreciated, Felt, and Extraordinary by the community we serve and protect through our extraordinary deed. I am hopeful that we can work together in ensuring the success of our anti-criminality and peace keeping campaigns and help contribute to the transformation of the PNP in its quest to become a highly capable, effective, and credible police organization. One that enjoins confidence, trust and respect of the people we serve and protect,” Maj. Gen. Estomo said in his inaugural speech as NCRPO director.

The official who is set to get his 3rd-star once there is a vacancy for the rank has repeatedly echoed the marching orders of President Marcos Jr to uphold the Constitution at all times.

“We will remain steadfast in our fight against criminality, especially against illegal drugs, but as such as we expect our best effort to eliminate crime, we must do so with a high standard for human rights, even of those who criminalize themselves,” he said.

Under him, the NCRPO which is composed of the Manila, Quezon City, Northern, Southern and Eastern Police Districts hurdled the many challenges and scored big in its campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, terrorism and corruption.

Under Maj. Gen. Estomo, the NCRPO accounted for billions of pesos worth of drugs, illegal firearms and other pieces of crime evidence and hauled to jail over 2,000 most wanted persons, dozens of them National Level MWPs or Regional and District Level MWPs.

He also led all NCRPO efforts to investigate and solve the murder of radioman Percy Lapid in Las Piñas City on October 3, 2022. The NCRPO, with the help of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group then headed by Brigadier Gen. Ronald O. Lee eventually got hold of a confessed gunman in the Lapid case.

Testimonies given by the confessed assassin identified as Joel Escorial triggered the filing of murder charges against dismissed Bureau of Corrections Director Gerald Bantag, his aide Ricardo Zulueta and a number of New Bilibid Prisons’ inmates believed to have had a hand in the Lapid assassination.

Maj. Gen. Estomo also launched the S.A.F.E. NCRPO Alert App which he said will help the public immediately report any crime or emergency situation taking place in their area via mobile phone.

The official described the system as their “tool” to have a more effective and quick system of reporting any crime or problem that requires the help of the Metro Manila police force while the situation is currently happening.

The real-time reporting will also gauge the effectiveness of concerned police stations and other units in responding quickly to the alert. Estomo said that the S.A.F.E NCRPO App Alert mobile application is an alert server that will be monitored by their Tactical Operation.

“In just a touch of a finger in the mobile or cellular phone, the app will provide an alert to the command center, which will be immediately conveyed by the personnel on duty to the nearest police patrolling in the area under their jurisdiction. The police response clock is indeed shortened and real-time,” he explained. The mobile application is not dependent on Internet connection as in the absence of internet signal, alerts will be relayed through Short Messaging System (SMS) or text signal.

Estomo said that the project is in accordance with the “Kasimbayanan” program of Gen. Azurin which aims to further enhance the partnership between the police force, the Church and the community.

Two weeks ago, Maj. Gen. Estomo played a huge part in the seizure of 575 kilograms of shabu worth nearly P4 billion in Baguio City.

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr. said that a ‘whole-of-government approach in fighting illegal drugs in the country was behind the latest major drug haul.

The DILG chief thanked all the participating units—from the NCRPO, the Cordillera Police Regional Office, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group—which worked together to find the huge shabu storage facility where 51-year old Chinese national Ming Hui alias ‘Tan’ was arrested.

It was so far the largest shabu haul to be made in the Cordillera region by the police force.

The successful Baguio City drug raid stemmed from the relentless surveillance operations of the NCRPO under Maj. Gen. Estomo which was continued by his successor, Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan O. Okubo to locate the possible storage site of a big drug shipment in the country.

Maj. Gen. Estomo said that due to the relentless anti-drug operations by the NCRPO, the syndicate decided to hide the illegal drugs in Baguio City prior to their distribution to Metro Manila and its nearby regions. He said that prior to the raid, their intelligence officers have uncovered a plot by a major Chinese drug trafficking syndicate to distribute the drugs in Luzon area.

Arrested during the raid at no. 035-A in Purok 4, Irisan, Baguio City was 51-year old Chinese national Ming Hui alias ‘Tan,’ described as a chef from Mainland China.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon