Draft EO allowing PMA grads in PNP, Coast Guard pushed

MANILA, Philippines - The remaining graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) currently at the helm of the Philippine National Police are not about to give up control of the PNP.

A group of PMA graduates is urging both PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista to endorse to President Aquino a draft executive order allowing PMA graduates to re-enter the PNP and the Philippine Coast Guard.

The STAR obtained a copy of a series of written communication pushing for the re-entry of PMA graduates to the PNP, a move being spearheaded by the PMA Alumni Association Inc.

The entry of PMA graduates to the police service ended in 1991 with the passage of Republic Act 6975, which created the PNP, a police organization national in scope and civilian in character. PMA Class 1992 was the last batch admitted to the PNP.

At present, key positions in the PNP are still occupied by the so-called PMAers, including Purisima, who belonged to Class 1981.

The call to allow again the entry of PMA graduates into the PNP started on April 14, 2010, when then PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) chief Abner Cabalquinto signed a letter to different police officers, creating a technical working group (TWG) to look into the “procurement of PMA graduates to the PNP.” Cabalquinto belonged to the PMA Class 1976.

Director Samuel Diciano, chief of the PNP Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development, reactivated the TWG last March 26 and tapped Director Napoleon Estilles, current chief of the Directorate for Plans, to head the group with about six members from other police units.

Diciano was a graduate of PMA Class 1980.

In his letter, Diciano said the reactivation of the TWG was based on the letter of April 10, 2010 obtained from the office of the DPRM, regarding activation of TWG on the procurement of PMA graduates to the PNP.

“In view of the above, this directorate recommends that TWG be reactivated to be chaired by TDPL (Directorate for Plans) for this purpose,” Diciano added.

Last Feb. 7, Rameses Victorious Villagonzalo, legal counsel, PMA Cebu Squad Inc. wrote a letter to Bautista and Purisima about the request allowing PMA graduates into the PNP service.

“Presenting hereunder is the draft executive order that allows graduate exchange of PMA and PNPA (Police Academy). Its intention is to keep the PMA breed in control both of the AFP and especially the PNP, which has a fading number of cavaliers,” Villagonzalo said.

He said, “the draft is somewhat self-explanatory which can be subjected to your sound modification.”

“With all due respect, both of you (Bautista abd Purisima) gentlemen are in the best position to suggest this matter to our beloved President,” said Villagonzalo.

The draft executive order also stated that “there is a great need to maintain close coordination, harmonious relationship and effective and efficient interoperability between and among the AFP, the PNP and the PCG and these purposes can very well be attached largely to the resumption of the allocation of new PMA graduates to the PNP and PCG (Coast Guard).”

“The President has the power or control of all the departments, bureaus, offices... the President has also continuing authority in executive branch,” said the draft letter signed by eight officials from the PNP, PCG and AFP.