Ilocos becomes ‘dumping area’ of retiring generals

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP FLORENDO, La Union- The Philippine National Police Regional Office in the Ilocos region has become the favorite “dumping ground” of retiring police generals the past several years.

The PNP hierarchy knows that although it is a common knowledge that retiring generals of PNP officers can no longer deliver the much needed services in the organization, it has also been a practice of the PNP leadership to give “break” to retiring officers for political accommodation.

Last week Camp Crame designated Chief Supt. Orlando Mabutas who is set to retire come Dec. 13, as new regional director, replacing Chief Supt. Constante Azares who retired last June 22, after reaching the mandatory age of 56.

Azares had only six months to serve before he retired.

Like his predecessor (Azares), Mabutas has only more than five months to stay as RD of Region 1 and the junior officers predict that since he is set to retire come Dec. 13, their RD can no longer take the risk of working in sensitive areas in the region.

Before Azares, Gen. Ramon Gatan was designated RD here for only 11 months and retired.

Prior to Gatan, Gen. Alfredo de Vera was also appointed as RD for only few months here.

As usual, some junior officers here expressed doubt if the retiring generals can still perform risky police works in their remaining days of service since this might compromise their career once they get entangled to a case during short period of their career.

They asked the PNP hierarchy to designate a younger RD if it wants to achieve something.

They quotef part of Section 25 of Republic Act number 8551, which states “Except for the Chief, PNP, no PNP member who has less than one year of service before reaching the compulsory retirement age shall be promoted to a higher rank or appointed to any other position.”

They said this was oftentimes grossly violated.

Police officers who are being designated to sensitive positions such as regional directors (RD), provincial directors (PD), chief of police (COP) and other sensitive positions less than one year before their retirements, are not, they said, productive anymore in performing their duties since they are just already waiting for their retirement date.

Claiming that they are just concerned with the organization, the officers appealed to the National Police Commission and PNP chief Jesus Versoza to look into their advocacy of not giving sensitive positions to the retiring policemen as this is counter-productive and runs counter to the PNP chief’s transformation program in the PNP.