Two heads

Some quarters are puzzled by the rudeness in the way President Aquino is getting rid of the current chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Director General Nicanor Bartolome.

The only reason neutral observers can think of is that P-Noy’s choice as the next PNP chief, Bartolome’s deputy Alan Purisima, happens to be a member of that elite club from which this administration has drawn several of its talents.

Purisima was a member of the Presidential Security Group during the time of Corazon Aquino. He shares the distinction with his former PSG chief, now Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; former presidential aide Joseph Emilio Abaya, now transport and communications secretary; Ricardo David, currently immigration commissioner; and Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado. There may be more, but those are the names that immediately come to mind.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy’s Class of ’81 (when will individuals trained as soldiers stop heading the PNP?), Purisima has an added credential: he was part of the security convoy of Noynoy Aquino when it was hit by rightist rebel fire at the height of a coup attempt on Aug. 28, 1987. President Cory’s only son was wounded; three of his escorts were reportedly killed.

If only out of sheer courtesy, the appointing power is expected to wait until the latest moment to announce the replacement of a retiring police or military chief.

But the way this PNP leadership change is being handled, it looks like Bartolome is being sacked, months before his retirement, and so close to Christmas – not the best of times to be on “non-duty status,” a new euphemism for “floating.”

Bartolome, a member of the PMA’s Class ’80, reaches the mandatory police retirement age of 56 on March 16 next year. The excuse given by Malacañang for his early retirement is that a new PNP chief must be in place before the 2013 election ban on new appointments takes effect.

Perhaps Bartolome should have taken the Palace hint and accepted the post of former interior undersecretary Rico Puno, a presidential bosom buddy who was forced to quit amid controversy over a police gun deal and a “visit” to the condominium unit of the late interior secretary Jesse Robredo.

Bartolome did make noises about serving at the pleasure of the President, but this was quickly followed by reports that he preferred to stay longer as top cop. This developed amid criticism that in announcing Puno’s replacement, P-Noy had preempted new Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who was promised a free hand in reorganizing the department.

Roxas recently announced that P-Noy had chosen Purisima as the next PNP chief.

This creates two centers of power in the PNP. With all the officials loudly insisting that the announcement did not turn Bartolome into a lame duck, you can be sure he already is one.

Oh well, perhaps two PNP heads will prove better than one in dealing with criminality, which appears to be on the rise particularly in Metro Manila.

Roxas said as much, as certain observers have noted. In announcing P-Noy’s preference for Purisima, Roxas said there has been a “double-digit” decline in crime incidence nationwide under Bartolome’s watch even as a “spike” was recorded in Metro Manila.

So as a reward, Purisima takes the helm of the PNP? That’s the question being asked by those appalled by the sight of Bartolome being stampeded into giving way to Purisima.

Roxas is getting some of the flak over this, which is on top of early grousing that he has a tendency to raise his voice at subordinates. Maybe he’s just becoming hard of hearing, but those grousing say the raised voice sounds more like an aristocrat dealing with a muchacho.

Yesterday, P-Noy clarified that the idea of “non-duty status” came from Bartolome himself, and that it was similar to going on terminal leave. As of yesterday, and until today as far as we know, Bartolome remains PNP chief.

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P-Noy should know by now that having officials performing overlapping functions, with the hierarchy unclear, can mess up operations in an agency. But this being the early Christmas season, we can look on the bright side of a double-headed PNP.

A scan of the news these days tends to portray, if not rising crime incidence, an increase in boldness.

Consider the kidnapping, rape and killing of that young model by a group of guns-for-hire, simply because her fellow model was reportedly annoyed by her rumor-mongering.

Every day there is at least one brutal killing – for thrills, money, you name it. In Mindanao, businessmen or their relatives are being kidnapped for ransom. There are still several foreigners in captivity there, although one – a Japanese – is said to have already “assimilated.”

In Metro Manila, armored vans delivering cash to banks and money changing shops are being robbed in broad daylight by groups armed with high-powered guns.

Carjackers continue to operate, and burglars strike even in exclusive gated villages. Perhaps authorities should tighten regulation of private security agencies.

With the pyramid scam involving Aman Futures Group leaving thousands gypped of their life savings, some of the victims appear to be taking the law into their hands. It may translate into swift justice, but it’s bad law enforcement if people are allowed to murder and burn the houses of suspected swindlers or their relatives.

PNP chiefs come and go in swift succession, so people aren’t too concerned about the fates of Bartolome and Purisima.

What people are concerned about is the performance of the PNP, and whether peace and order will improve with uncertainty in police leadership.