Lomibao’s 2006 wish for PNP: Loyal, efficient, better service

Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao urged yesterday the 118,000-strong police force to remain loyal to the Republic, improve its efficiency and extend better service to the public this year.

Speaking during the PNP officers’ New Year’s call at Camp Crame, Quezon City, Lomibao told his men to keep their bodies healthy so they can outrun criminals, and their minds open in order to outsmart terrorists.

"The loyalty we showed to our leadership and to the Constitution in 2005 would be sustained, if not surpassed, as we face new challenges," he said. "Our duty is to stand by the rule of law, our job is to protect peace and order. Nothing more, nothing less."

On several occasions, Lomibao has reiterated the PNP’s loyalty to President Arroyo, who has faced scandals and ouster calls since last June.

On the other hand, Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes, who attended the New Year’s call, vowed to come up with programs to improve police service as well as the lives of policemen.

Lomibao said he hopes to improve the operational efficiency of the police by giving more resources to policemen and women in police stations, "the bastions for peace and progress."

"My transformation program to build stronger police stations calls not only for new structures and new equipment, but for new thinking, new attitudes and new systems," he said.

Lomibao said the transformation must be pursued on three fronts: physical, mental and spiritual.

"Physical aspects (include) the construction of more than 100 new police stations and procurement of new equipment, while the mental transformation includes reengineering of systems and procedures and an intensified build-up of skills," he said.

"Spiritual aspect is the leadership training and value formation," he explained.

Lomibao said he expected better police service with the improvement of facilities and equipment, and increased allocations for the police force.

"To make full use of new infrastructure, new guns, new training, we must put heat and heart into our day-to-day tasks," he said. "Remember, there are no small jobs, only small minds. Transformation starts in each of us, physically, mentally and spiritually."

Lomibao assumed office after detained Abu Sayyaf men, led by Galib Andang (alias Commander Robot) staged a prison uprising and took hostage fellow inmates in the Metro Manila Rehabilitation Center at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan in Taguig.

Police commandos staged an assault on the jail to end the crisis.

After the Bicutan siege, Lomibao and the PNP had to face jueteng allegations, terrorists, a spate of killings of journalists and street rallies calling for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology reported that more prison escapees had been recaptured following an intensified hunt by BJMP guards through Oplan Dakip Balik Piitan program last year.

In a report to Reyes and Interior Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus, BJMP Director Arturo Alit said achieving "zero-escape" has always been the goal of the bureau, though it was almost impossible due to dilapidated jails and insufficient resources.

"But despite these, the bureau has efficiently reduced the occurrence of escape incidents for the year 2005," Alit said in his report.

Alit said records at the BJMP showed that only 24 incidents involving 64 jailbreaks were registered last year compared with 2004, which recorded 124 escapes.

"Considering that the jail population reaches a monthly average of 62,462 the number is very minimal, an almost 50-percent reduction from the previous year’s statistics," he said.

Alit said of the 64 escapees, 27 were recaptured.

Figures showed the number of escapes from 1992 to 2005 was listed at 1,077 and involved 2,237 escapees, of whom 1,038 were recaptured.

BJMP regional directors, jail wardens and jail guards are under orders to strictly implement security measures and to cooperate with local governments, non-government organizations and civic groups in the rehabilitation of jail facilities, he added.

Alit said the BJMP has been implementing programs and projects to strengthen jail management and efficiently carry out its mandate of safekeeping inmates under humane conditions.

The hostage crisis at the Metro Manila Rehabilitation Center last March 13 highlighted the nationwide problem of jails lacking manpower, he added.

About 23 persons, among them Andang, were killed during the hostage crisis.