PNP Chief Director General Oscar C. Calderon: Into The Boiling Cauldron

With a spate of high profile killings and a ten-week deadline set by the President for the solution of these killings, Director General Oscar Castelo Calderon took over as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), a post many likened to a boiling cauldron, an unintended pun on his last name.

But Calderon is not fazed. Although some quarters have expressed doubts over the PNP’s ability to solve the killings, Calderon claims to have already solved two of the ten cases on the second of the 10-week deadline imposed by President Arroyo.

"I would say that God is with us and the determination of our investigators are among the factors in the immediate resolution of the two cases," says Calderon, who also cited the support and cooperation that the PNP has been getting from national media organizations and some witnesses.

Calderon held dialogues with various sectors aimed at enlisting the active cooperation and support of all concerned sectors to complement ongoing police actions. It is a strategy he initiated, and it seems to be working.

He also gave assurances that there would be no shortcuts. "I have asked my men to be sincere and not to become part of a cover-up," he says. "I told them no shortcuts, no fall guys but honest-to-goodness investigation."

Calderon’s rise to the top comes as a result of hard work and waiting for his turn, despite his being related to President Arroyo–a fact, he emphasizes, that he never took advantage of. "The President assumed office more than five years ago but I remained one of the boys and waited for my turn," he insists. "My record will bear me out. I have climbed the ladder, worked hard to get to where I am right now."

Calderon, a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1973, respected the line of succession by waiting for the mandatory retirement age of his predecessor, PNP chief Arturo Lomibao, who belonged to PMA Class 72.

"Walang nagreklamo sa appointment ko," says Calderon. He spent many years of his career leading and fighting battles in Mindanao in the early 1970s against Muslim secessionist rebels. Calderon has to his credit 18 military and police awards including a Bronze Cross for bravery for leading a daring rescue operation against a kidnap-for-ransom gang in Cebu City, and nine Military Merit Medals in recognition of his accomplishments in the field.

While several generals were implicated in alleged fraud during the May 10, 2004 presidential elections, Calderon managed to stay away from politics and his name has not been mentioned in the poll controversy.

He has also not been implicated in jueteng, human rights violations or summary executions, maintaining a solid reputation for over three decades.

"I do not claim that I am totally 100 percent clean, but I can 100 percent say that I know what is right and what is wrong. I know what is scandalous," he says.

Thus, people may be more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when he pledges to "rid the PNP of scalawags," a promise made all too often in the past. "I want to be remembered as the PNP chief who got rid of the scalawags in the organization and brought the police closer to the people."

That may be an even taller order than solving high profile killings in ten weeks.

The PNP chief vows to give priority to the police housing program because 74,000 of the 118,000 members of the PNP do not have decent housing. He sympathizes with police personnel who can hardly make both ends meet, but he insists that policemen should not use their meager income as an excuse for engaging in illegal activities.

"Naranasan ko rin yung sweldo na P360 a month, so about P150 every 15 days. But I tried to live within my means, the same with my wife and children," he says.

Aside from taking out the bad eggs from the organization, Calderon also vows to address street crime, from cell phone snatching to pickpockets and hold-ups. "I have pledged to reduce street crimes and to make sure students, employees of call centers can go home peacefully without being molested by pickpockets and hold-uppers."

To support his anti-street crime campaign, Calderon started fielding police detectives who are armed and trained to shoot. These detectives ride in buses and other public utility vehicles in areas with rampant hold-up and snatching activities.

He says the community’s support for the police is the best weapon against all forms of criminality, particularly in the campaign against terrorism and insurgency.

"The PNP is given a more active role in internal security operations. We will have specific duties. We have worked together before and our reunion (with AFP) is not new to us," he explains. "We will have to re-focus our thrust–our thrust in intelligence, investigation and operation and community relations towards internal security operations."

Calderon shares that there will also be "Honesty Teams", composed of trained investigators, to go after "kotong cops"–policemen engaged in extortion and other criminal activities. He exhorts his fellow policemen to stay away from illegal activities, telling them that "a good name is the best thing you can give to your children."

In the provinces, he encourages every community to tap an individual to serve as liaison officer to sit down with the police to address concerns. There will also be police auxiliary teams to support the insufficient number of policemen in some localities.

The PNP will also be conducting operations against the New People’s Army. "But my first program of action is to strengthen my defense structure–the police station. How will I do that? We will build more protection for vulnerable police stations that are likely targets of NPA attacks. Then we will establish barangay intelligence networks around the community and around the stations."

He is also banking on local government officials, being heads of the peace and order councils in the regional, provincial and municipal levels. Basically, he explains, this is police partnership with the community. "We are aware of the limitations of the police so we are proposing the organization of a police auxiliary, which will be an equivalent of the CAFGUS, administered and controlled by the AFP."

Masarap ang pakiramdam pag narating mo yung parangap mo na wala kang na-argabyado at naapakan along the way," Calderon says with a smile. He spent most of his career in the Visayas and Mindanao but he has no regrets because it was in General Santos City in Mindanao that he met Ma. Theresa Larrabaster, who became his wife and the mother of his three children–Marie Christine, Oscar Leonard and Gerald.

"It was in 1974 when I first met her, she is undoubtedly beautiful. She was crowned Ms. GenSan. Expectedly, I had to compete with her other suitors, including a doctor, a pilot, a lawyer and other professionals. Fortunately, I won her heart," he beams. "She deserves all the rewards and praises because she acted as carpenter, driver, and much more to our children while I was on assignment."

Born on Oct. 1, 1951, Calderon is the eldest of eight siblings from Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. His younger brother, Comm. Leonard Calderon, was recently named deputy chief of staff for intelligence, one of the most sensitive and prestigious posts in the military establishment.

After graduation from the PMA and as a junior officer of the defunct Philippine Constabulary Integrated National Police, Calderon’s dream was to have a star on his shoulder board.

"When I was still a Lieutenant, up to the rank of Senior Superintendent, I was one of the boys. One-star rank was my ultimate dream. But when I was assigned here at Camp Crame and worked with other generals, I began to have a feeling that maybe I have the chance to become PNP chief," Calderon reveals, adding that his becoming chief of the PNP is not just a stroke of luck. "Hindi tsamba itong pagiging Chief PNP ko. I really worked hard for it."

In his first weeks in office, the general impression of the new police chief has been one of openness and accessibility. With an easy smile and unassuming demeanor, Calderon is showing that he can take the heat of the boiling cauldron that is the PNP.