A changing of the guard at the PNP

The turn-over ceremony, in which Police Deputy Director General (Lt. General) Arturo C. Lomibao takes over the 112,000 member Philippine National Police from retiring PNP Chief, General Edgar "Egay" Batalla Aglipay, will take place at 11:30 a.m. today in Camp Rafael Crame, Q.C.

Lomibao had been assured of assuming the PNP’s top post Saturday night, just after President Macapagal-Arroyo met for dinner with the members of Philippine Military Academy’s class ’71, headed by Lomibao’s rivals for the position, i.e. Police Generals Virtus Gil, Reynaldo Velasco and Ricardo "Dick" de Leon.

La Presidenta had already earlier promised Lomibao promotion to the top, but apparently she felt it diplomatic to mollify the restive and resentful ’71 "cavaliers" before reaching down to Lomibao, who belongs to PMA ’72.

Frankly, this sort of . . . well, let’s call a spade a damn dirty shovel – this sort of horse-trading shouldn’t, in my estimation, have taken place. But you know how politics is defined – it’s "the art of the possible."

GMA, as I’ve already said before, doesn’t want to provoke discontent – who knows when she’ll need (she obviously believes) the support of both police and military? If you ask me, this kind of unease and feeling of insecurity only weakens her Presidency, but she’s President and I guess will just have to make her own judgement calls.

* * *

The compromise, as it turns out, is that Virtus Gil, who’s retirable, will assume the post of Deputy National Security Adviser (under Sec. Norberto Gonzalez), while Gen. Reynaldo Velasco will be Deputy PNP Chief for Administration (number two) and General Dick de Leon, Deputy Chief for Operations (number three).

Happy, children? At least Mama didn’t spank. She gave everybody a lollipop.

While I’m happy that a deserving Art Lomibao is now PNP Chief – and the inevitable huzzah will be made that his PMA "Masigasig" Class 1972 is now "The Ruling Class" – all this business about PMA’ers, "cavaliers" from the Academy, and mistahs, hogging the top echelons of our police organization will someday, soon, have to be resolved.

The dilemma springs from the dual role played by the PNP – the organization can’t make up its mind whether it’s a civilian law enforcement agency, or a para-military outfit, organized into fighting companies, battalions and regiments like the old Philippine Constabulary (PC), from which the PNP evolved.

Since the PNP is actively involved in putting down rebellion and subversion – and is virtually a gendarmarie or, as in Spain, a Guardia Civil – how can it escape its military character?

Anyway, now that Lomibao is taking over command – and, while he won his major medals commanding a PC fighting unit, he is strongly "intelligence" oriented – and intelligent at that – and was instrumental in drawing up a PNP "Transformation Plan" stemming from a comprehensive workshop in Clark Field, Pampanga, from February 10 to 11 this year.

The 5 -year plan asks the three questions: (1) Where is the PNP now? (2) Where is the PNP going? and, finally (3) How will it get to where it wants to go?

With Art at the helm, he’ll be able to chart the answers to 1, 2, and 3. On how he performs on these self-expressed guidelines, he’ll succeed – or fail.

* * *

Since there’s now a keen interest in knowing what PNP Lt. General Arturo Carbonel Lomibao’s made of – he modestly never indulged in self-propaganda – we might as well publish what we know of him from long association.

If you ran across Art in civilian shirt, you’d think him a college professor, rather than a soldier or a cop. He’s mild-mannered, wears thick spectacles (vanity never moves him to remove them) and doesn’t have a military swagger at all.

He was born in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, on July 5, 1950 and went to school in his hometown, graduating from the Mangaldan High School, then briefly studying in the University of the Philippines until he gained entry into the PMA.

Upon graduation from the Academy, he served as a Philippine Constabulary officer as well as "intelligence" officer in the Mountain Province where she met his wife, Elizabeth Daoey – who died a few years ago, after a valiant 12-year fight with cancer, during which she and Art still managed to raise two fine children, a daughter and a son.

By coincidence, this writer was the commencement speaker when their daughter Louanda graduated high school from Brent (in Ultra), then she later went on to the U.P. where she graduated in Mass Communications, cum laude, majoring in Broadcast Communications. Louanda now heads a company doing film documentaries.

Their son, Arthur Chase, is currently in college. Elizabeth, in her wheel-chair, was able to attend Arthur’s high school graduation, an emotional but happy event (Art once recalled with an uncharacteristic tear in his eye – he belongs more to a more Spartan mold) before she finally succumbed to her disease.

Lomibao has been commanding officer of the Region 1 Constabulary Security Unit; commanding officer of the 152nd PC Company; district director of Pangasinan Police District 2, intelligence officer of the PC Regional Command 10; operations officer of Regional Command 1 and the Cordilleras; Deputy Director of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development.

He was Provincial Director of four provinces: Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Camarines Sur and La Union – quite suitable geographically since being a Saluyot he speaks Ilocano aside from Tagalog, though I don’t know what the state of his Bicolano might be.

Although he never brags about it, he is credited with the capture of NPA Commander Dante Buscayno, as I’ve said twice before, for which he was given the PMA Cavalier Award.

He has earned four Distinguished Service Medals, eight Bronze Crosses, two "Gantimpala" awards and other awards, including National Awardee 2003 of the Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines in Law Enforcement.

He trained both here and abroad in crisis management, transnational crimes, illegal drugs, Information Technology, cross-cultural policing, vital installation security, etc. In sum, Art’s ready for the job he’s now assuming.

Above all, he’s got guts. He’ll need every ounce of intestinal fortitude he can muster in the months to come. The first thing he’s got to do in the police establishment is – kick ass. There are too many crooked, arrogant, and sneaky cops who think they’re Untouchable.

* * *

Malacañang left it until late yesterday afternoon to officially announce Lomibao’s designation as PNP Chief. This was done by Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio "Toting" Bunye.

Now comes the pregnant question. Since Lomibao is retirable by his birthday next year, meaning July 5, 2006, will the President "extend" his term beyond that. If not, the new Police Chief will serve less than one year and four months – surely not time enough to reform, re-invigorate, and streamline our frazzled police set-up. Hardly enough to even get one-fifth towards the goals set by the 5-year "Transformation Plan" of (a) a capable PNP organization; (b) an effective PNP organization; (c) a credible institutional image; and (d) the police officers themselves as "effective community leaders."

I calculate a police chief needs at least three years, if not four, to make a difference – otherwise the bad eggs, corrupt cops, druglord protectors, and racket bosses in their midst (like those into kidnapping, murder-for-hire, and other heinous undertakings) can simply hunker down and, simpering among themselves, wait for Art Lomibao’s tenure to expire. Then, we may find ourselves back to square one – or even, worse behind the eight-ball. (Sorry, but I seem to dredge up all those hackneyed expressions when I’m writing in a frenzy of apprehension).

This is not a proposal to extend Lomibao’s term of office – just a common-sensical observation. Presidents and Commanders-in-Chief, alas, are constantly under pressure to adhere to the seniority "order of battle" and yield to the next, upcoming batch, i.e. giving them a "chance" at bat.

It’s time, I submit, we stopped playing politics and thus mortgaging public safety and, indeed, our national security, just because the next bunch of wannabe’s is clamoring for their "turn" to be promoted.

La Gloria’s not campaigning for re-election – therefore, there ought to be no compunction on her part to go on pleasing everybody.

Let’s review, while we’re on the subject, the retirement status of our top cops.

Gen. Virtus Gil, who’s now going over to National Security, is – like his classmate Egay Aglipay – retirable today, March 14.

General Rey Velasco, also PMA ’71, is retirable May 22, 2005, in just three months. Gen. Dick de Leon is retirable September 10, 2005, or about six months from now.

* * *

With Lomibao ascending to the PNP’s premier slot, PMA ’72 can now be described in a kind of hyperbole, "The Ruling Class."

Why? As enumerated yesterday, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Efren Abu belongs to ’72 as does his former bunkmate, Vice-Admiral Ernie de Leon, Flag Officer in Command of the Navy; as well as Philippine Army Commanding General, Generoso S. Senga.

The Class of ’72 has produced two lawmakers, Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino Jr., and the late Cagayan Congressman and Governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo – who arrested the Communist Party Supremo, Joma Sison. The gallant, two-fisted Governor Aguinaldo was ambushed and killed by the NPA, while Sison now lives in "exile" in Utrecht, Holland.

PMA ’72 has further produced two Superintendents of the Philippine Military Academy: The immediate past Superintendent, now Deputy Chief Gen. Edilberto Adan, and the present Superintendent, indeed the 50th Superintendent of the PMA, and the first one to wear three stars as a Lt. General, namely Cristolito Partido Balaoing.

Balaoing comes from Camiling, Tarlac, and was a combat Infantryman from the word "go." He’s a veteran of the Mindanao wars, if we can describe them in this fashion.

He completed intelligence officer basic training, however, at the Special Intelligence School, and his Infantry officer basic course in the Philippine Army School Center. He then went on to the US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1986.

Lt. Gen. Balaoing graduated at the top of his class in the Battalion Commanders’ Course in 1988, where he was given the Leadership Award. In 1991, he again graduated as class valedictorian at the AFP Command and General Staff College, receiving the Chief of Staff, AFP and Commanding General Philippine Army awards.

In 1995, he completed a postgraduate course and became a Fellow of the Australian College of Defense and Strategic Studies, earning an "Excellent" rating in 2001. He attended the Senior International Defense Management Course at the US Navy Post-Graduate School in Monterey, California, in 1981, and studied for his Masters in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.

It is his record on the battlefield, of course, will still defines Balaoing best.

He served as a company commander in Mindanao, then as Battalion Commander of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion in Southern Luzon. Next, as Brigade Commander of the 703rd Infantry Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, PA, in Northern and Central Luzon. He was Commanding General of the 4th Infantry "Diamond" Division in Mindanao. Before being named to the PMA, he was the Commanding General of the 7th Infantry "Kaugnay" Division in Fort Magsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija.

Now, Balaoing has graduated his first batch, the "Sanlingan" Honor Class 2005.

"May we continue to be what the Academy has stood for through its 106 years of existence," he told me when he greeted me the other week, "but every day we’ll strive to do better – and be better."

Go for it, PMA! When all is said and done, we still count on those guys (and now girls, too) of the "long gray line" – whom we in the ROTC used to scoff at in our student days as "The Trade School boys" – for future leadership in our country.

In war and peace, what every nation requires is the magic of leadership. Lacking that, a nation fails its marks.