At last, Lacson gets his fourth star

After a long wait, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Panfilo Lacson has finally received his much-coveted fourth star.

PNP spokesman Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome told Camp Crame reporters yesterday that President Estrada has approved Lacson's promotion which took effect last Friday.

Bartolome said Lacson's promotion was recommended by Interior and Local Government Secretary and concurrent National Police Commission (Napolcom) Chairman Alfredo Lim.

However, Bartolome failed to show reporters a copy of the document which the President signed to approve of Lacson's promotion.

Under PNP regulations, Lacson cannot be promoted to the four-star rank of director general since the rank is still being held by former PNP chief Santiago Aliño.

A check made by The STAR at the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) showed that Aliño is set to retire on April 1 yet.

But Lacson justified his promotion. "I did not ask for this promotion. I'd rather not comment on what General (Santiago) Aliño will do if I happened to take advantage of getting promoted before his retirement," he said.

He also cited a Napolcom resolution that gives it the power to promote a newly appointed PNP chief to the next rank.

Aliño, a member of the Philippine Military Class of 1967, was removed by Mr. Estrada as PNP chief when he assumed the presidency in June 1998.

Aliño's successor, Deputy Director General Roberto Lastimoso, was himself forced to relinquish his post after he was accused of allegedly coddling a drug trafficker.

The STAR tried but also failed to get a copy of Lacson's promotion orders from the Napolcom.

Meanwhile, Bartolome assured that the entire rank and file of the PNP is "very happy" with Lacson's promotion.

"We are all very happy for him. The position of the PNP chief carries with it a four-star rank. The promotion was recommended by Secretary Lim and it was approved by the President," Bartolome said.

Lacson's promotion as the highest ranking policeman is expected to draw flak from various human rights, left-leaning and cause-oriented groups.

Prior to his assignment as PNP chief, Lacson, the President's "favorite" policeman and member of the powerful PMA Class of 1971, was implicated in the Kuratong Baleleng rubout case in May 1995. He was later cleared by the Quezon City regional trial court.

The President and Lacson go back a long way. They were together in the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) under the Ramos administration, when Mr. Estrada was still vice president.

In the Estrada administration, Lacson headed the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, which was patterned after the PACC. It was while he was with the PAOCTF that Lacson had a run-in with Lastimoso, whose job he later took over.