It’s a five-way race for top NCRPO post

It’s a five-way race for the top police post of Metro Manila, with the impending retirement of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Vidal Querol in a week’s time.

Among the top contenders for the NCRPO post are Director Alejandro Lapinid, head of the PNP Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development; Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Jesus Verzosa; Director Servando Hizon, PNP comptroller; Director Nicolas Pasinos, chief of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM); and PNP Directorate for Intelligence chief Director Reynalo Varilla.

Sources said some contenders to the post are now courting the support of political patrons.

Querol, who is reaching the retirement age of 56 on Aug. 13, already hosted a farewell dinner for colleagues and some media friends at Camp Crame Friday night.

But before saying goodbye to friends, Querol paid President Arroyo a visit at Malacañang.

It was not immediately ascertained if Querol’s visit to Malacañang has something to do with his rumored impending appointment to a civilian post following his retirement.

Sources said Varilla has the edge among the five contenders because he enjoys the support of the so-called Batangas bloc identified with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and former PNP chief and now Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

Varilla was appointed as PNP Region 4 police office chief weeks before the May 2004 national elections after he was pulled out from his assignment as Western Mindanao police director.

His transfer to Southern Tagalog was viewed as a political decision to benefit the top political leadership, though not necessarily Mrs. Arroyo herself.

When Mendoza was PNP chief, Varilla headed the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Division before he was designated as Civil Security Group director after the retirement of former police general Reynaldo Berroya, now Land Transportation and Office-National Capital Region (LTO-NCR) head.

During his stint at the PNP-FED, Varilla was charged before the Sandiganbayan after the Office of the Ombudsman found prima facie case against him for allegedly diverting some P3 million worth of HK MP5 (72 units) assault rifles from the PNP FED’s warehouse to a private arms supplier, the Tri-Mark Ventures Trading Corp. based in Makati City.

Already, Ermita’s hand was seen in the appointment of Senior Superintendent Edmund Zaide as new Batangas police chief vice Senior Superintendent Francisco Don Montenegro, who occupied the post for almost two years.

Another top contender to the top NCRPO post is Verzosa, now CIDG chief and a veteran investigator responsible for pinning down former Calauan Mayor Armando Sanchez and seven others for the rape-slay of UP student Eileen Sarmienta and the murder of Allan Gomez in 1993.

Under Verzosa’s watch, the CIDG also scored a number of accomplishments in anti-crime and anti-smuggling efforts.

The CIDG, along with the military, was also instrumental in the recent arrests of Magdalo soldiers linked to the latest destabilization efforts against the government.

On the other hand, Lapinid was described as a "good choice" for the NCRPO because he has no identified political links.

A former regional commander for Central Luzon, Lapinid is a mistah of PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). They belong to the batch of 1973.

Meanwhile, Pasinos, a former Western Police District chief, enjoys the support of his brother-in-law, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, chairman of the House contingent to the powerful Commission on Appointments.

Hizon also enjoys the support of the Batangas bloc and is considered as a "dark horse" for the top NCRPO post.

If Varilla gets the NCRPO post, sources said the position is a jumpstart for Varilla’s shot at the PNP chief post in the next three years.

Varilla is reportedly being groomed by his political backers as the next in line to Director General Avelino Razon Jr., now PNP deputy for administration.

Razon is PNP chief in waiting, and is set to replace Calderon when the latter retires in October next year.