MANILA, Philippines—With just two months to go before he bows out, Philippine National Police Chief Director General Avelino Razon is already anticipating his retirement.
“It’s getting close,” said Razon who told reporters that he has been “silently” doing his rounds to say goodbye to his men.
Razon, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1974, will retire on Sept. 29 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.
The first thing on his agenda when he retires is a much-needed vacation with his wife, Cecille, he said. The destination is “a secret,” he said.
Razon said that during his watch, the PNP “prevailed despite some difficult situations.”
“Some” could be an understatement. Compared to the relatively quiet term of his predecessor, Gen. Oscar Calderon, Razon had to deal with numerous controversies and crises, including the Glorietta 2 bombing last Oct. 19, the Batasan blast on Nov. 14, the Manila Peninsula siege on Nov. 29, and the brouhaha last February surrounding the alleged kidnapping of Jun Lozada, the Senate’s star witness in the NBA-ZTE scandal.
PNP investigators said an accumulation of toxic gases resulted in the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall in the Ayala Center in Makati which killed 11 people. But the mall owner, Ayala Land, has disputed this finding.
The Batasan bombing shredded the south wing of the Batasan complex killing six people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.
Armed rebel soldiers led by Sen. Antonio Trillianes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim forcibly took over the Manila Peninsula hotel, demanding the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The soldiers, members of the self-styled Magdalo group of renegade junior officers, surrendered to government forces after a six-hour standoff. But the PNP was severely criticized for taking into temporary custody members of media covering the attempted rebellion.
Lozada went missing after he was reported to have been whisked away from the airport under tight guard upon his return from Hong Kong. Razon declared that the PNP had taken Lozada into its protection after his family asked for it.
Razon said he is committed to keep on working until his last day in office, as “we need to follow up on the programs we have started.”
He said he has been successful in bringing the PNP closer to the people mainly through his “Mamang Pulis” program designed to bring back the glory of the police force of old.
“We have returned the trust of the public to the police. Evidence is the numerous text messages we have been getting reporting on crimes and even misdemeanors of policemen. The public’s reaction has been very strong,” he said.
He also said he is thankful that Malacańang has given the PNP the P10-billion modernization fund, something which his predecessors did not have.
“The next PNP Chief will be lucky and he will reap the benefits of our hard work,” Razon said.
