CAVITE, Philippines — Two weeks after saying in an interview that he wants to buy a house for her mother Priscila, Police Lieutenant Jervis Allen Ramos, the top graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Sansiklab Class of 2019, just realized his dream.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte handed him the certificate of ownership for a house and lot during the graduation ceremony for the 201 members of the “Sansiklab” (Sandigan ng Mamamayan na may Sigasig na Itaguyod and Kapayapaan at Ipaglaban ang Bayan) Class held at Camp General Mariano Castañeda in the municipality of Silang on Friday (March 22).
READ: Sansiklab Class 2019 graduates from Philippine National Police Academy
The Camella Homes house and lot package given to Ramos is worth P2 million, according to Supt. Byron Allatog, PNPA spokesperson.
The new house will certainly be far different from the single-bedroom bungalow with a small kitchen and bathroom in Tondo, Manila where Ramos grew up living with his family.
“We’ve never had our own home. We were just renting a place,” he said in an earlier interview.
READ: From poor Tondo boy to top PNPA graduate
Aside from the house and lot package, Ramos also received during the ceremony the Presidential Kampilan Award, the Chief of the PNP Kampilan Award, a Plaque of Merit, and awards for being Best in Forensic Science and Best in Thesis.
‘Good cops still exist’
Before entering the PNPA in 2015, Ramos also studied criminology at the Universidad de Manila. He ranked third in the Criminologist Board Exam in October 2014.
It was his father Jorge, a jeepney driver, who wanted him to become a policeman. His father died when he was 13.
Despite the issues hounding the police force, Ramos admitted that his chosen profession sometimes gets tarnished by scalawags in the police ranks, but added that good police officers still do exist.
“Napakarami pa ring naglilingkod sa aming bayan nang tapat at hindi papanig sa kasamaan. Sila ang aming ehemplo na gawing tama at mabuti [ang aming serbisyo] upang inyong maipagmalaki,” he said during his valedictory speech.
(There are still a lot of police officers serving the country with honesty and those who don’t side with the evil. They are our role models to do [our service] well and right so that you will be proud.)
He also urged his batchmates to not end up as erring members of the Philippine National Police force, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
“Kailanman, wag tayong masumpungan at manguna sa ano mang baluktot na sistema’t gawain, bagkus maging huwaran tayo sa pagsasabuhay ng isang mahusay, tapat, at responsableng lingkod ng bayan na naninindigan sa panig ng katarungan at katotohanan,” Ramos said.
(Let us never be tempted to engage in or initiate any crooked system or activity, rather let us be examples of being good, honest, and responsible servants of the country who stand firm on the side of justice and truth.) /muf
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