I must congratulate the police generals led by their captain, PNP chief, Director General Nick Bartolome for proving that they are better than their counterparts from the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard and the Presidential Security Group when it comes to hitting the right target in the firing range.

Last week, the PNP’s  4th-highest official, Deputy Director General Emil Sarmiento topped the 2012 Battle of the Generals  hosted by the Chief Executive who himself is an avid practical shooting enthusiast.

For the 2nd consecutive year, Sarmiento, the PNP Chief of Directorial Staff and a classmate at the PMA Class 1980 of Gen. Bartolome emerged as the individual aggregate champion to retain his crown in the shooting competition held at the NCRPO Firing Range in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City besting his rivals from the PNP, the Armed Forces General Headquarters, the Army, the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Presidential Security Group.

A powerhouse team composed of Gen. Bartolome, Sarmiento, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, Director Sammy Pagdilao Jr., PNP Intelligence Group director, Chief Superintendent Manny  Barcena, PNP Training Institute director, Chief Supt., Louie  Saligumba and PNP Special Action Force deputy director, Chief Supt. Leo Napenas emerged as the Team Aggregate Champion outpointing their competitors from the AFP General Headquarters, the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, BJMP and PSG.

Gen. Bartolome emerged as the champion in the 4-Star category while Sarmiento also topped the 3-Star Category. Pagdilao was the 1st Runner-Up in the 2-Star category while Saligumba emerged as the 1st Runner-Up in the 1-Star category.

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The overwhelming victory of the PNP shooting team proved all and sundry that police generals know how to shoot straight despite claims that most PNP officers and men are ‘bolo men’ or those who can’t hit their real target in a shooting range and instead will hit the ground like a farmer plowing the ground.

The PNP team also proved that they have not really forgotten their training in the Philippine Military Academy. Bartolome and Sarmiento are from PMA Class 1980; Pagdilao is from PMA Class 1979; Barcena and Saligumba are from PMA Class 1981 while Napenas is from PMA Class 1982.

The ‘invitation only’ Battle of the Generals 2012 showed President Aquino displaying his gun skills during the event organized by NCRPO chief, Director Alan Purisima to further foster camaraderie among generals in the uniformed service.

Sarmiento also topped the Battle of the Generals 2011 after winning the 3rd and 4th stages of the event. (I just wonder why Deputy Director General Benjie Belarmino, the PNP’s 2nd highest official and undoubtedly one of the top guns the PNP and the PMA has produced, was absent in the shooting competition. Gen. Belarmino could have added more fun to that event for sure).

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Gen. Bartolome said the yearly shooting competition not only sharpens the shooting skills of police and military generals but also fosters comradeship and establishes friendly accord among the uniformed services as generals lead their respective personnel.

“To lead by example, one has to be proficient in order for the men to follow. But more importantly, this competition helps to the development of competencies, enhancement and specialization of individual skills as the PNP aims to make the police officers to be more skilled in handling and using firearms” said Bartolome. 

The PNP chief told me that one of his main priorities is to augment the shooting skills of all police officers. He said that the organization as of the moment is continuously upgrading the skills of ordinary police personnel insofar as shooting and handling of firearms is concerned as the skill is vital in protecting the public and in responding to any threats of violence.

EXPECT MORE CHANGES IN THE PNP THIS MONTH

The retirement on Thursday, February 16 of Gen. Belarmino is expected to trigger another reorganization of key PNP positions aimed at putting the right officer in the right job, I was told.

Belarmino, the ‘last man standing’ of PMA Class 1977 will bow out from the service as the PNP Deputy Chief for Administration.

I have heard that Gen. Belarmino will be replaced by PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Deputy Director General Art Cacdac, a member of PMA Class 1978 who will retire this coming October.

On the other hand, Cacdac will be replaced by Gen. Sarmiento. As the new PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Sarmiento will also be the commander of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force which lately has scored a string of major anti-narcotics accomplishments, netting more than P1 billion worth of shabu and arresting scores of Chinese drug traffickers.

There is also still no official word on who will replace Sarmiento as the PNP’s 4th highest official. However, Crame Files sources said among those being considered for the post are PNP Director for Intelligence, Director Ager Ontog Jr. of PMA Class 1980 and PNP Director for Police-Community Relations, Director Rommel Heredia of PMA Class 1979.

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Last Thursday, a member of PMA Class 1981 who will be retiring this coming November 22 was named as the new director of the PNP Logistics Support Service.

Chief Supt. Rex Milton Dolino replaced Chief Supt. Manuel H. Cachero, a member of PMA Class 1978 who opted to retire from the service eight months before his actual retirement on October 11.

Dolino, one of the oldest members of PMA Class 1981, will serve as Director of the Center for Police Strategy Management, the PNP office supervising the police transformation program in a concurrent capacity.

This week also saw the designation of Chief Supt. Gil Meneses, another PMA Class 1980 member as the new head of the PNP Civil Security Group which supervises the operation of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office and the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies.

Meneses was replaced as Police Regional Office 4-A director in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region by Chief Supt. James Andres Melad of PMA Class 1982.

On the other hand, Melad was replaced at the PNP Headquarters Support Service by Chief Supt. Carmelo Valmoria, another member of PMA Class 1982 who used to be the chief of staff of the National Capital Region Police Office.

Last week, Chief Supt. Nap Estilles, also of PMA Class 1981, assumed his new post as PRO9 director in Western Mindanao. Estilles was replaced as PNP-FEO director by Senior Supt. Raul  Petrasanta of PMA Class 1984.

Erstwhile Southern Police District director, Chief Supt.  Arne de los Santos of PMA Class 1979 also took over as new PRO5 director in Bicol replacing newly-retired Chief Supt. Cecilio  Calleja Jr. of PMA Class 1978.

Congratulations to these officers and gentlemen.