Retired PNP chief Acorda: I did my best

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. march past a formation of police cadets during retirement honors for the police official at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, April 1, 2024. Jean Mangaluz/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said that he did his best but is ready to take full responsibility if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believed that he failed to meet his expectations.

“I am filled with mixed emotions; as I bow down, I am overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment, gratitude, and nostalgia,” Acorda said during his retirement honors held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“If I fall short of your expectations, I will take full responsibility, but I say I did my best. If I happen to exceed your expectations, I humbly attribute our achievements to the men and women of the PNP, from the command group down to the police personnel on the streets,” he told Marcos.

Among the achievements PNP acquired during his tenure were the notable decrease in the country’s crime rates and the promotion of second-level police officers.

READ: Soon-to-retire General Acorda: ‘I never imagined I’d become chief PNP’

The former chief said he hoped these achievements could complement Marcos’ Bagong Pilipinas movement, which the president earlier said is “a master plan for development or program that benefits all Filipinos and serves no narrow political interest.”

“I sincerely hope that in my 11 months tenure as PNP chief, our contributions have aligned with Bagong Pilipinas building a more peaceful, just, humane society paving the way towards a more comfortable life for more Filipinos,” Acorda said.

Acorda, who belongs to the PMA “Sambisig” Class of 1991, became the 29th PNP chief on April 24 last year, replacing retired general Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

Before he became chief, the Ilocano police official served as the chief of staff of the Civil Security Group, deputy director for operations of the National Capital Region Police Office, and chief of police of Northern Mindanao.

Acorda also said he plans to spend more time with his family after retirement.