Naga police chief wins Lead PNP Award for 2010

MANILA, Philippines - The limited equipment of the Philippine National Police (PNP) did not stop members of the Naga City Police Station 2 from performing their duties to ensure peace and order in their locality.

Chief Inspector Benigno Albao Sr., chief of police of Station 2 of Naga City, and his men maximized the resources they had and linked up with members of the community to make the 11 barangays under their jurisdiction more peaceful and crime-free.

Members of the police force and the volunteer Barangay Information Network would even use their personal motorcycles in conducting beat patrol to prevent crime in their area of responsibility.

Under Albao’s leadership, the police station’s exemplary performance did not go unnoticed by the leadership of the PNP, as Albao was adjudged the winner of the Lead PNP Award for 2010 - the Mentor Leader, the second year of the prestigious award.

PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo, his command group and directorial staff conferred the trophy, medal and other awards on Albao during a simple thanksgiving dinner held at the PNP Training Service at Camp Crame recently.

Albao also received P250,000 cash prize, a laptop, a .45 caliber pistol, and a scholarship for a graduate course.

Bacalzo also announced that the PNP will give Albao’s police station four sets of desktop computers, a multimedia projector, and a brand new patrol car to be taken from the 2011 procurement budget and donations from non-government organizations.

“We gather for the second Lead PNP Award to honor the work ethic and leadership output of one of our outstanding officers as the model for the change we seek, and as testament to how far we have gone (in transforming the PNP),” said Bacalzo.

Bacalzo noted that Albao’s records stood as a beacon for all policemen and policewomen to continue to encourage reform, change and excellence.

“His ability to determine critical problems, courage to face and address them and reach out to the community made him the Lead PNP awardee for 2010,” he added.

Since he assumed office, Bacalzo said he has been pursuing the PNP-Integrated Transformation Program, through the Program Management Office (PMO), the central management facility for all PNP reform programs and projects.

“We have been pursuing programs in the PNP to make our police officers capable, efficient and credible,” said Bacalzo.

Nominees were received by the regional police offices, from which emerged 12 regional semi-finalists. A technical working group composed of PNP senior officers screened the 12 nominees and came up with five finalists, whose credentials and accomplishments were validated by the National Selection Committee composed of PMO executive director and Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) chief Director Arturo Cacdac Jr., chairman; University of the Asia and the Pacific Prof. Jose Navarro, vice chairman; STARweek magazine editor Doreen Yu; Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr. of St. Peter Parish in Quezon City, and Badge of Honor Foundation president Albert Escalona.