Bacalzo vows to continue reforms of predecessors

Newly-appointed Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Raul M. Bacalzo on Tuesday morning vowed to continue the good work that his predecessors started shortly after assuming the leadership from Gen. Jesus Versoza.

Witnessing the change of command, in a ceremony held at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame, were President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Hundreds of active and retired police officers and the provincemates and classmates of Bacalzo from his law school at the University of the East and his mistahs at the Philippine Military Academy Class 1977 attended the change of command. Bacalzo served for five years in concurrent capacity as member of the GRP Peace Negotiating Panel in 1993 to 1998.

Bacalzo is an outstanding graduate of the Masikap Class of 1977 of the Philippine Military Academy landing both in the Dean’s List and Commandant’s list and finishing 12th in the 1984 bar with a rating of 87.43 percent. He made a strong point towards training and re-training of police men to transform them as a “mentor to all, a problem-solver as needed and a teacher to others.”

He enumerated the three tenets of his leadership: a) Our service is a continuing challenge to right what is wrong and review our policies and implement practical action plans; b) discipline, perseverance and dedication will be the hallmarks of our service and c) every police officer must learn the lessons well, focus on the day-to-day responsibilities and push the program for reform.

Stressing that PNP’s training will go back to basics, Bacalzo cited the importance of “reviving the virtues of discipline and courtesy, good manners and right conduct that are the hallmarks of a public servant and essential to being a good citizen.” (PCOO/PIA)

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