Querol takes over NCRPO today

Director Vidal Querol is the new National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief.

He will assume command from Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. during turnover rites at the Camp Bagong Diwa parade ground in Taguig at 2 p.m. today.

Razon has been named Philippine National Police (PNP) directorial staff chief based at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Querol, a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s Class ’73, commanded the police contingent that repulsed thousands of supporters of ousted President Joseph Estrada who laid siege to Malacañang on May 1, 2001.

Querol is Razon’s senior at the PMA.

When The STAR reached him via cellphone last night, Querol said he has yet to get instructions from President Arroyo and PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao about his plans and programs for the NCRPO.

"What the President says and that of the chief PNP, we will just follow," he said.

He would pursue police activities that are in consonance with the public needs, he added.

Querol begged off from answering more questions, saying that he was hearing Mass in Manila.

Before being named Metro Manila police commander, Querol was police director for Western Mindanao. Querol also served as Northern Police District director from 2001 to 2002.

Among the significant accomplishments of Razon during his nine-month stint as NCRPO chief was the reduction of crime in Metro Manila by 21.13 percent and the active involvement of the community in the fight against crime.

Though Razon was satisfied by the NCRPO’s anti-crime campaign, he admitted that "sensational killings" occurred in Metro Manila in the past few days.

"As we have recorded, crime volume in the metropolis has dropped by 21.13 percent in the first quarter when compared to the same period last year," he said.

These results reflected the effectiveness of the NCRPO’s programs, emphasizing the empowerment of all policemen as directed by Lomibao, he added.

In his exit report to Lomibao, Razon said the NCRPO has to continue enhancing its efforts to upgrade its capabilities to make Metro Manila the "safest place and an NCRPO that is the finest police force in the country."

"Needless to say, we shall continue to win public trust and get the job done," he added.

When he assumed command of the NCRPO last Aug. 24, Razon’s first act was "to set the house in order" by instituting internal reforms to enhance personnel discipline and efficiency as well as making optimum use of available facilities, equipment and resources.

"With our house in order, I believe it would be easier to set the bigger house — that is, the community — in order," he said in his exit report.

While he was quick to dismiss policemen involved in extortion and other illegal activities, Razon also rewarded 1,504 personnel who showed dedication to duty.

He also enhanced personnel training, firepower, communications and mobility, boosted morale and welfare, established efficient intelligence and operational capabilities, and strengthened police-community relations.

However, Razon credited the significant drop in crime in the metropolis to his pet project dubbed COMPSTAT, which involved the use of crime mapping in combating crime at the precinct, station and district levels.

Under the COMPSTAT, top officials of the five police districts would gather every Friday and determine where crimes are happening and deploy more policemen to the area.

Razon said COMPSTAT and his other programs led to a drop in bank robberies, car thefts and kidnapping in Metro Manila.

After learning of his promotion, Razon paid a courtesy call to The STAR editorial offices last Thursday amid reports of another coup plot.

He explained that the 37 police checkpoints set up in strategic points in Metro Manila were part of normal security procedures, and therefore should not be misinterpreted as anti-coup preparations.

"Those checkpoints are our ‘instrument-denial’ or our way to interdict illegal firearms, terrorist bombs, among other tools of crimes," he said. — Non Alquitran, Pete Laude