Valor award for PNP general questioned

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is restive again.

A PNP general decorated by President Arroyo with a Medalya ng Kagitingan (Medal of Valor) Award is under heavy fire as his peers questioned whether his role in defending Malacañang during the May 1, 2001 siege was worthy of the award.

It is claimed that all Camp Crame police officials and their military counterpart were agitated by the presidential move.

The Medalya ng Kagitingan award is the highest and most coveted award in the military and police. It is given to soldiers who displayed exceptional heroism by risking their lives and limbs in battles where survival is almost impossible.

Besieged police Director Florencio Fianza, chief of the PNP directorate for human resources and doctrine development, was unavailable for comment. He is in London attending an anti-terrorism training by the Scotland Yard.

The furor over the Fianza award came as officials were investigating the May 1 PNP promotion scam. "No one should be allowed to play around with this award held sacred by all men in the uniform services. How can he do this to both the police and the military organization?" police and military officials asked.

They complained that Fianza lacked the merits to receive the award.

Investigators also learned that the award entitled Fianza to an extra cash monthly reward of P20,000 for his reported heroism.

"Before a Medal of Valor Award is pinned to a recipient, it must pass through full scrutiny of a special board which usually conduct years of independent investigation on the merits and basis to justify the giving out of the highest award," the complaining officials said.

"Most applicants who felt that they deserved the highest award instead got the Gold Cross, the second highest award in the military and police service," they said.

The selection process takes years to complete and usually is accompanied by wide publicity, but in the case of Fianza, it was kept secret, the complaining officials said.

PNP sources said Fianza received the award through the intercession of a retired police general now based in Malacañang.

Police officials subjected to investigation because of the promotion scam have resorted to using the Fianza incident as a weapon to justify their promotions.

It is claimed that Fianza initially sought the Medalya ng Kabayanihan award (Medal of Heroism) for his May 1, 2001 role in defending Malacañang. Fianza got his second star due to this.

Then, Fianza’s application for the Medalya ng Kabayanihan was surreptitiously upgraded by the retired general based in Malacañang to the Medalya ng Kagitingan, which was approved by President Arroyo, it is alleged. – Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez