‘Star blue’

The top brass of the Philippine National Police (PNP), headed by Director-General Arturo C. Lomibao, trooped to The STAR editorial office in Port Area, Manila last Monday night.

After the heavy downpour earlier that afternoon, Lomibao, with 14 other top PNP officials in tow, were like stars that fell to our office from the dark skies that night.

If not on official mission abroad, the entire PNP directorate officials would have been there. Directors Ricardo De Leon and Western Police District (WPD) Gen. Pedro Bulaong, we were told, were in China.

But as early as 4 o’ clock in the afternoon, WPD kept calling us to ask about the exact time we expect Lomibao to arrive in our office even as his advance party were all over the place already.

Since our office is located just across a Muslim trade center, the presence of so many policemen has sent them closing shops earlier than usual, apparently fearing of raid of their establishments.

Our PNP reporter, Cecilia Suerte-Felipe joined the police officers in a PNP bus that took them from Camp Crame, Quezon City to our office ostensibly to save on gas, and not cause traffic during rush hour in Port Area.

While waiting for Lomibao, I had small talks with some of them, of course, about police matters, including their uniform. I remember the PNP uniform used to be called "Mendoza blue" when the PNP was still headed by now Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

When I noted this, Deputy Director-General Oscar Calderon corrected me, saying they now call their uniform "star blue", which means only Police Generals from one-star rank and up should wear it to distinguish them from those of lower rank.

In this way, Calderon pointed out, there is no need to change the name of their uniforms whenever there’s a new PNP chief.

Over dinner, PNP official spokesman, Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil shared a little secret with our editor-in-chief Isaac G. Belmonte that the one-star in his shoulder board was the same one-star worn and then given to him by Lomibao who used it when he was still also a Chief Superintendent and official spokesman of the PNP during the term of former PNP Director-General Recaredo Sarmiento in 1994-1997. To which our managing editor Antonio F. Katigbak said that Lomibao’s one-star might be the lucky charm which might add three more stars to Bataoil’s shoulder board the same way it earned for its previous owner.

Lomibao’s tour of duty ends July next year yet, but the light banter of our managing editor has obviously dumbfounded the other aspirants to the top PNP post, who were gathered at the table.

Bataoil belongs to Class ’76 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and therefore a few steps farther compared to the most senior to succeed Lomibao.

Like his two predecessors Mendoza and Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. who is now secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Lomibao’s career path might also lead him to a possible Cabinet job in the Arroyo administration.

If seniority rule is followed, Calderon, who is said to be a relative of President Arroyo, is next in succession. Calderon belongs to PMA Class ’73, while another PNP chief material is Deputy Director-General Avelino Razon Jr. who comes from PMA Class ’74.

I find most amusing the chat of our Starweek editor Doreen Yu with Calderon, with whom she finds common quality while discussing the latest technology in police work, including the PNP Headquarters in Crame now being partially "wi-fi" enabled with their third floor fully operational.

Calderon though promised Doreen he would ask one of his "high-tech" children to teach him how to be "wi-fi" able to live up to his crimebusting duties as head of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) team.

He demonstrated his sharp eyes and police skill when he espied Doreen’s plate hiding lechon in between wrappers of lumpia after Razon teased her for just eating light.

We never felt so secured that night when the PNP top brass visited us in our office.

I even joked people might complain again of lack of police visibility in Metro Manila because the PNP top brass were all in our office that night.

We had a good laugh when one of the aides-de-camp of one of the Generals did not recognize our very young and rugged-looking editor-in-chief. The rookie cop approached and asked him "Pare, saan ba dito men’s room n’yo?"

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May I give way to some of the mails I got in reaction to my previous columns.

Arlan Palsis sought to correct an item about the country’s energy crisis: "The oil crisis of 1972 you mentioned was not due to Iran-Iraq war but the Arab-Israeli war. The precise timing of this oil crisis was right after the Arab-Israeli war of 1973 wherein oil was first use as a political weapon by the Arab oil producing countries and it was very effective and successful. The oil producing Arab countries have placed an oil embargo to nations friendly to Israel and the result was so devastating to the west. Even USA was caught unprepared. Whereas the Iran-Iraq war started in 1980 when Iraq invaded Iran, there was an oil crisis too, but not as severe as that of 1973 -1974."

From Angel A. Espeleta of Malate, Manila, who I presume is a man, here is his take on the oil price problem and political crisis troubling our country:

"I have no problem with your reasoning. In fact I thank you for the informative column on problems of high price of oil... Rather than preparing defenses for the coming impeachment, she could show her sincerity by giving up her pork barrel and lay down a frugal and real program that will not only bring about a good example for other politicians, but also remedy realistically the fiscal crisis. Then she will manifest some credibility to our creditors... I like the suggestion of our President in asking the people to change our style of living. It will be better however if besides exhorting to change, she should lead us in changing our style of living. For instance she formerly asked Congress to give up pork barrel. She could start it herself. If she changes her lifestyle and Mike and Mikey Arroyo and Iggy Arroyo follow suit, then it would be easier to ask others to do the same. Nemo dat quod non habet."

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