'Verzosa a good cop, a good father'

MANILA, Philippines - History will remember outgoing Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus A. Verzosa as the top cop who opposed a no-election scenario and a supposed plot to derail the automated elections last May.

“The context of what he said not to follow illegal orders resonated. He earned the respect of the Filipino people. General Verzosa prepared his troops for the worst scenario. At the time, talks of a no-el scenario were circulating,” recalled retired Col. Benjamin de los Santos, the closest associate of Verzosa.

“I remember that then presidential aspirant Noynoy Aquino agreed with Verzosa’s pronouncement,” De los Santos told a select group of journalists who covered the testimonial parade for the PNP chief at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City last Saturday.

De los Santos said Verzosa is a perfect example of a “bonum pater familia.”

“Like any good father who takes care of his family, Verzosa stands by the men and women of the organization. No matter the mistakes of a child, a good father will never abandon him,” explained De los Santos, also the secretary-general of the PNP Badge of Honor Foundation.

In his speech, Verzosa acknowledged that his career, from the time he was a lieutenant in Mindanao in 1976 to his present post as the country’s top cop, has been “turbulent yet fulfilling.”

Verzosa, a member of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Magilas Class’ of 1976 will retire on Sept. 15. President Aquino has yet to name Verzosa’s replacement.

“It has been a journey of courage and hardship, of rough and smooth roads, of hope and faith. And it was a journey that I am fortunate and proud to have taken in my lifetime,” the PNP chief said.

“And if I may one day be asked what the proudest moment in my life has been, I can only say I will forever be proud that I have been a police officer molded by my alma mater in this very place where we are now,” the soft-spoken Verzosa stressed.

Verzosa had chosen to retire ahead of Christmas Day, when he turns 56, the mandatory retirement age for military and police servicemen, to allow younger officers to take the helm of the PNP.

Addressing the PMA cadet corps, Verzosa reminded them to uphold their academy’s motto, “Courage, Integrity and Loyalty,” in serving the country and protecting democracy.

Verzosa said that over a 38-year career that saw him move from the defunct Philippine Constabulary to the PNP, he had been put in the so-called freezer four times, but was also meritoriously promoted as many times for his achievements.

He said his determination to put the institution above all else, “has sustained me through the worst of times and humbled me through the best of times in my career as a uniformed officer.”

“Looking back I can now say I reached the top through sheer hard work and dedication to the ideals we PMAers stand for, the ideals of courage, integrity and loyalty,”

“And this is a lesson I now want to leave you,” he told the cadets. “When faced with the greatest of challenges in the performance of your duty, when torn between which paths to take, and when agonizing over which decisions to make, look to the institution first and make sure not to compromise it,” he explained.

Verzosa is the 15th chief of the PNP and the last one appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now Pampanga’s second district representative. He replaced Avelino Razon Jr. in September 2008.