Mouthpiece to head PNP

The man who served as the face and mouthpiece of the Philippine National Police for many years now rises to become its head.

The media-savvy Deputy Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome, erstwhile chief of the directorial staff, takes leadership of the 110-year-old institution on Friday, stepping into the shoes of retiring PNP Director General Raul M. Bacalzo in turnover rites at Camp Crame.

Malacañang announced Thursday the appointment of Bartolome as the new PNP chief, confirming an Inquirer report last week.

President Aquino will preside at the turnover ceremony Friday and will outline the mission order for Bartolome in his address to the 140,000-strong force, according to Palace deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte.

Interviewed Thursday, the mild-mannered Bartolome took a familiar posture that reminded reporters of his days as an unflappable spokesman, answering a flurry of questions in slow, measured tones.

Bartolome acknowledged that his experience as spokesman under five PNP chiefs had prepared him for the task ahead—improving the PNP’s reputation tattered by a slew of corruption scandals.

“Being a spokesperson really exposes one to all the problems in the PNP because you yourself face these problems as the mouthpiece of the organization and the PNP chief,” the 54-year-old Bartolome said.

“And since I have experience and exposure to the issues, it will help me in the approaches I may take toward my leadership,” he said in an impromptu press conference at the PNP headquarters.

A member of Philippine Military Academy’s “Mapitagan” Class of 1980, Bartolome served as the PNP spokesman and publicist to three PNP chiefs from 1999 to 2001. He reassumed the position from 2007 to 2009.

“I’m a combination of all of the PNP chiefs I served under,” Bartolome said of his former bosses, Roberto Lastimoso, Edmundo Larroza, Panfilo Lacson, Avelino Razon and Jesus Verzosa.

Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said: “Bartolome possesses the experience and untarnished record to continue the reforms Bacalzo has initiated. He will continue to build on the programs that are now in place.”

“I expect him to cleanse the PNP of scalawags, correct the agency’s procurement systems, and initiate and implement the necessary reforms to uplift the agency’s reputation and further heighten the capability, competence, capacity and efficiency of his men,” Robredo said.

Honest and honorable

“Trustworthiness is very important, especially for the citizens. If we earn the trust of the citizens at the level of the rank and file, then we will have better police officers,” Robredo said.

Born in Gerona, Tarlac province, on March 16, 1957, Bartolome, who likes to play basketball and join marathons, is married to a doctor, Noemia, a pathologist in the Department of Health.

They have two children: Nicar Noemi, who is taking her master’s in psychology, and Nicanor III, a registered nurse.

Bartolome said he would work to make police officers as close as possible to his ideal: “A police officer with initiative, who’s honorable and honest, a police officer who’s a friend, easy to approach and not to be feared.”

Bartolome said he accepted the challenge of leading the 140,000-strong PNP for the next 18 months, at the end of which he would be retiring at age 56.

Bartolome said he met with President Aquino on Monday to talk about his plans for the organization should he be appointed. But he said the President never gave any indications about his choice.

No favors

The new PNP chief said the controversies involving the police force should be taken as opportunities to correct the error of its ways.

“We should face and accept the investigations involving the PNP. If there are wrongs, we need to right them. That’s why there are new procedures by our technical working group,” Bartolome said.

Bartolome vowed not to be influenced by loyalty toward former superiors in investigating PNP anomalies. “In the service, it’s part and parcel of what we do. We are not favoring anyone. Whatever the outcome of the probe, that’s what we will heed,” he said.

Fresh from the PMA as a young lieutenant, Bartolome saw action against Moro secessionists in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte province. He also figured prominently in fighting against communist rebels in North Cotabato province, as well as organized crime groups in Cotabato City and Iligan City.

He was instrumental in neutralizing Cotabato City’s “Public Enemy No. 1,” Abdul Nasser Solaiman a.k.a. Johnny Claw, as well as the most wanted kidnap-for-ransom group headed by Abogado Gado, a.k.a. Commander Mubarak, and the notorious gun-for-hire syndicate led by Moktar Abdullah, also known as Solaiman Dimasalang.

On top of several military medals, Bartolome received from the service two Distinguished Service Medals, two Heroism Medals, five Special Service Medals, two Outstanding Achievement Medals, one Bronze Cross Medal and two Good Conduct Medals.

Bartolome also served as provincial director of Tarlac in 2005 to 2007, and as director of the National Capital Region Police Office in 2010.