PGMA's Speech during the Philippine National Police (PNP) Change of Command Ceremony

Camp Crame Grandstand, Quezon City (04 July 2002)
MARAMING SALAMAT SECRETARY JOEY LINA. NAPAKAGANDA ANG PAGPAPAKILALA MO SA AKIN.

MY VERY ESTEEMED PREDECESSOR, PREDECESSOR DIN NI LARRY MENDOZA AT NI JUN EBDANE BILANG PC CHIEF AT AS CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES, ALSO THE SUPERVISING GENERAL FOR FOUR MAJOR SERVICE COMMANDS INCLUDING THE PNP OR THE PC-INP, FORMER PRESIDENT FIDEL V. RAMOS; OUR TWO GENERALS IN THE TURNOVER TODAY -- GENERAL MENDOZA, NOW SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION. AND I GREET THE OTHER CABINET MEMBERS AS WELL. AND DIRECTOR GENERAL HERMOGENES EBDANE AND THE OTHER OFFICERS OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE; OUR VERY SUPPORTIVE CONGRESSMEN WHO ARE HERE TODAY -- CONGRESSMAN TEODORO, CONGRESSMAN TORRES, CONGRESSMAN AQUINO; GENERAL ROY CIMATU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TODAY, JULY 4th; THE OTHER OFFICERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES; OUR VERY SUPPORTIVE GOVERNORS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, DEPUTIES ALL OF THE NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSION -- GOVERNOR TOMMY JOSON OF NUEVA ECIJA, GOVERNOR MATIN PETILLA OF LEYTE, GOVERNOR VIC MAGSAYSAY OF ZAMBALES; MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS; PARADING ELEMENTS; CO-WORKERS IN GOVERNMENT; DISTINGUISHED GUESTS; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

TROOP COMMANDER GENERAL LANSISAN GIVE 'TIKAS-PAHINGA.'

THIS IS A GOOD DAY FOR A TURNOVER OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE COMMAND. SO FAR, THE WEATHER IS COOPERATIONG WITH US. BUT AS I WAS LEAVING MALACAŅANG, I WAS TOLD THAT THE POLICEMEN AND THE POLICEWOMEN HAVE SAID THAT 'RAIN OR SHINE' OUR CEREMONIES WILL BE IN THESE PARADE GROUNDS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE HAD A FORMAL CEREMONIAL TURNOVER. LAST JANUARY 21st 2001, LARRY MENDOZA DID NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF CEREMONIES SUCH AS WHAT WE ARE HAVING TODAY.

AND TODAY, LARRY MENDOZA HANGS HIS UNIFORM AFTER 38 FULFILLING YEARS OF SERVICE. AWAITING HIM AS HE LEAVES THE POLICE FORCE IS A BIGGER JOB IN THE CABINET. LARRY, MY GUIDANCE FOR YOU AS YOU MAKE YOU CAREER MOVE IS WORK WITH BAYANI FERNANDO TO SOLVE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM IN METRO MANILA. BAYANI FERNANDO IS HERE TO WISH YOU WELL IN WORKING WITH HIM. WORK WITH TONY BERNARDO TO CLEANSE THE WATERFRONTS ALL OVER THE PHILIPPINES OF SMUGGLERS AND GOONS. YOU KNOW, TONY BERNANDO TOLD ME THAT UNLIKE HIS SPARRING PARTNER, RENE BAŅEZ, WHOSE CROOKS ARE WHITE-COLLARED CROOKS, TONY BERNARDO'S CROOKS ARE BLUE-COLLARED CROOKS, THEY ARE NOT ONLY SMUGGLERS, THEY ARE GOONS. AND THE MORE I DECIDED THAT I NEED A TOUGH COP TO HELP HIM THERE. I NEED A TOUGH COP IN THE STREETS OF METRO MANILA AND THE PORTS OF THE OTHER CITIES. THAT IS WHY LARRY MENDOZA IS GOING TO BE... IS NOW, IN FACT, THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.

LARRY CAME WELL-PREPARED FOR THE TOP PNP POST, AND HE IS WELL-PREPARED TO BE THE TOP ENFORCER OF OUR STREETS AND WATERFRONTS, CARRYING A PMA DIPLOMA, A RUN OF ASSIGNMENTS ALONG THE ENTIRE BREADTH OF POLICE DUTIES AND TWO MASTERS DEGREES. BUT WHAT MAKES HIM A CUT ABOVE THE REST ARE HIS OUTSTANDING TRUSTWORTHINESS, STEADFASTNESS AND A TENACIOUS DRIVE. SUCH QUALITIES CAME INTO PUBLIC VIEW IN THE TENSE DAYS OF EDSA DOS, ALSO IN THE MAY 1st RIOT LAST YEAR, AND IN SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS THAT TESTED THE INNER STRENGTH OF MANY POLICE OFFICERS. LARRY MENDOZA AS TOUGH COP LED HIS MEN WELL. AND HOW HE CARED FOR AND LOVED HIS MEN.

HALF OF LARRY'S SPEECH AND HALF OF JOEY'S INTRODUCTION OF ME WAS ALL ABOUT THE BENEFITS THAT OUR POLICE FORCE HAVE GOTTEN DURING THIS PAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF. AND WHY? BECAUSE LARRY WOULD CONSTANTLY NAGGED ME ABOUT SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, RETIREMENT PAY AND OTHER BENEFITS ESPECIALLY THE SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT THE LAW HAD PROVIDED FOR TEN YEARS AGO. AND NOW, IT IS FITTING THAT AS HE LEAVES HIS POST IN THE PNP THIS MONTH OF JULY, NOW THE
POLICEMEN AND POLICEWOMEN, AND POLICE OFFICERS HE IS LEAVING BEHIND WILL FEEL YOUR PAY INCREASES THIS JULY.

THIS JULY, NOT ONLY WILL THE AVERAGE POLICEMAN, TOGETHER WITH MANY OTHER HOUSEHOLDS... NO, NOT ONLY WITH THE AVERAGE POLICEMAN FEEL AN INCREASE IN HIS PAY, THE AVERAGE POLICEMAN TOGETHER WITH THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLDS STARTING THIS JULY WILL ALSO FEEL A REDUCTION IN ELECTRITY RATES. BUT LET'S GO BACK TO THE POLICEMAN WHO WILL ALSO FEEL THE BIG SALARY RAISE. STARTING JULY, POLICE MASTER SARGEANTS WILL BE RECEIVING -- BECAUSE LARRY SAID THAT POLICE DIRECTORS HAVE A HIGHER PAY THAN CABINET MEMBERS -- WELL, FOR THAT MATTER, POLICE MASTER SARGEANTS STARTING JULY WILL BE RECEIVING A HIGHER PAY THAN
THE SALARY OF MILITARY BRIGADIER GENERALS.  THAT IS WHY WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, THAT IS WHY I CERTIFIED AND I THANKED THE CONGRESSMEN THAT THEY HAVE PASSED THE LAW INCREASING THE SOLDIERS' PAY AS WELL. AND INCIDENTALLY, WE WILL BEGIN TO PHASE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MILITARY SALARY INCREASE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

GOING BACK TO LARRY AND HIS NAGGING ME ABOUT POLICE BENEFITS -- WE NAG EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. AS HE NAGGED ME ABOUT POLICE BENEFITS, I ALSO NAG HIM ABOUT THE FURTHER PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE PNP. AND SO, IN ORDER TO INCREASE POLICE VISIBILITY AND DETER CRIME ESPECIALLY KIDNAPPING, DURING LARRY'S TERM HE HIRED NEW POLICEMEN, A NEW POLICEMEN ALL COLLEGE GRADUATES. AS HE MENTIONED IN HIS ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT, HE HAD HIS POLICEMEN AND POLICEWOMEN, OLD AND NEW, TRAINED AND RETRAINED AS NEEDED.

I BELIEVED THAT THE SALARY INCREASE AND THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE PNP IS ON ITS WAY TO MAKING PNP AN ATTRACTIVE FORCE FOR OUR GOOD ELEMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN. LAST YEAR, LARRY HIRED 1,700 POLICEMEN. AND AGAIN, I'M GRATEFUL TO THE CONGRESSMEN AND THE SENATORS BECAUSE FOR THIS YEAR THEY PROVIDED A BUDGET FOR ANOTHER 4,000 POLICEMEN, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE 5,000 NEW POLICEMEN AND WOMEN. AND FOR THESE 5,000 OPENINGS, WE HAD 30,000 APPLICANTS ALL OF THEM COLLEGE GRADUATES, ALL OF THEM CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBLES. AND I HOPE THIS AUGURS WELL FOR A REAL PROFESSIONAL IMAGE OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE.

WHATEVER MIGHT BE THE CASUAL OBSERVATION, LARRY'S ACHIEVEMENTS ARE CAST ON THE RECORD. STATISTICIANS MIGHT LIE BUT STATISTICS DON'T. OUR CRIMESOLUTION EFFICIENCY INDEX NOW STANDSAT 90 PERCENT IN KIDNAP-FOR-RANSOM CASES. THE RESOLUTION RATE WAS BETTER IN THE YEAR 2001, LARRY'S YEAR, THAN THE YEAR BEFORE WITH 63 PERCENT OF THE CASES SOLVED COMPARED TO 48 PERCENT THE YEAR BEFORE. AND THIS 63 PERCENT SOLUTION RATE IS SO FAR THE
HIGHEST SOLUTION EFFICIENCY FOR KIDNAP-FOR-RANSOM CASES IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

THE MARKET FOR ILLEGAL DRUGS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNGRADED IN THE YEAR 2001. WE HAD OUR BIGGEST HAULS IN THE DRUG RAIDS LAST YEAR. WE CONFISCATED 500 KILOGRAMS OF SHABU IN QUEZON PROVINCE. AY! CONGRESSWOMAN DUMARPA. ITO NAMANG ATING MGA MALE CHAUVINIST PROTOCOL OFFICERS, HINDI SINULAT 'YUNG PANGALAN NI CONGRESSWOMAN DUMARPA NOONG BABATIIN KO YUNG MGA CONGRESSMEN NATIN.

ANYWAY, GOING BACK TO QUEZON PROVINCE. I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY -- LARRY SAID THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO PRAISE ALL THE OFFICERS THAT DID WELL DURING HIS TERM. AND I CAN'T DO THAT ALSO. BUT LET ME JUST MENTION TODAY THREE OF THEM ALONG THE WAY JUST TO SET AS AN EXAMPLE AND ILLUSTRATION. IN THE CASE OF THE SHABU RAID IN QUEZON PROVINCE, LET ME PRAISE THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEZON, COLONEL ROBERTO ROSALES, AND HIS MEN FOR RESISTING THE BRIBERY TEMPTATION AND CATCHING THE BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT SO FAR IN OUR WHOLE HISTORY OF OUR DRUG WARS. THEN, LET ME POINT OUT THE RAIDS ON THE LABORATORIES IN BATANGAS AND ZAMBALES WHICH NETTED A TOTAL HAUL OF 1,300 KILOGRAMS OF SHABU. THESE THREE-- QUEZON, ZAMBALES AND... ANO 'YUNG ISANG PROBINSYA? BATANGAS -- ARE THE LARGEST DRUG BUSTS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CRIME FIGHTING.

NOW, THAT'S ENOUGH FOR LARRY MENDOZA BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY GETTING EMBARRASSED. I USED TO TELL MENDOZA, YOU SHOULD PROJECT YOURSELF LIKE ELLIOT NESS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE. BUT HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SO SHY EVEN WHEN I WANTED TO PROJECT HIM LIKE ELLIOT NESS. SO, THEREFORE, HAVING POINTED OUT SOME OF LARRY'S DRAMATIC ACHIEVEMENTS, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ELLIOT NESS, THE MOST SENIOR AND THE MOST LOGICAL SUCCESSOR FOR THE POST OF CHIEF PNP. AND THIS IS GENERAL HERMOGENES EBDANE, JR.

JUN EBDANE IS NO LESS WELL-TRAINED THAN HIS PREDECESSOR. NO LESS EXPERIENCED, NO LESS HIGHLY EDUCATED. HIS FIELD ASSIGNMENTS ARE NO LESS VARIED THAN HIS PREDECESSOR'S. HIS SUPPORT AND PROTECTION OF ME DURING THE DIFFICULT DAYS OF THE IMPEACHMENT CRISIS WERE NO LESS DEVOTED THAN THAT OF LARRY MENDOZA. AND JUN EBDANE COMES VERY WELL ENDORSED BY THE FILIPINO-CHINESE COMMUNITY AND TWO FORMER PRESIDENTS, IN ADDITION TO HIS SENIORITY AND IN ADDITION TO MY OWN PERSONAL ASSESSMENT OF HIS LOYALTY AND CAPABILITY.

I HAVE ASKED SEVERAL FILIPINO-CHINESE WHY DO YOU LOVE JUN EBDANE SO MUCH? AND HE SAID... AND THEY SAY BECAUSE JUN USED TO BE THE HEAD OF THE WESTERN POLICE DISTRICT. AND IN THAT STINT, HE IMPRESSED THE FILIPINO-CHINESE COMMUNITY WITH HIS OUTSTANDING INTEGRITY. AND AFTER THAT... OR WAS IT BEFORE? HE WAS HEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS IN PRESIDENT AQUINO'S TIME. AND THEN HE WAS DEPUTY HEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY GROUP IN PRESIDENT RAMOS' TIME. PRESIDENT RAMOS AND PRESIDENT AQUINO BOTH HAVE BEEN TELLING ME ENTHUSIASTIC STORIES ABOUT THE LOYALTY AND RELIABILITY OF JUN EBDANE.

IT WAS ESPECIALLY, THE SPECIAL TRUST OF THE FILIPINO-CHINESE COMMUNITY THAT I CONSIDERED WHEN I NAMED JUN EBDANE THE HEAD OF THE CONTROVERSIAL PAOCTF, AND THEN THE HEAD OF THE ANTI-KIDNAPPING TASK FORCE OF THE NATIONAL ANTI-CRIME COMMISSION, WHICH I CREATED ESPECIALLY TO FIGHT KIDNAPPING AFTER THE ABOLITION OF THE PAOCTF.

THE ANTI-KIDNAPPING TASK FORCE UNDER JUN EBDANE HAS IMPROVED THE RESOLUTION RATE OF KIDNAP CASES WITH ITS TWO-PRONGED APPROACH TO KIDNAPPING. ONE APPROACH IS NEUTRALIZING THE SYNDICATES AND THE OTHER APPROACH EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY. JUN EBDANE AND HIS CHIEF LARRY MENDOZA BROUGHT DOWN THE INCIDENCE OF KFR CASES WITH CHINESE-FILIPINO VICTIMS BY 63 PERCENT.

WITH JUN'S ASCENDANCE TO THE TOP POST OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE, I AM NOW ABOLISHING THE ANTI-KIDNAPPING TASK FORCE UNDER THE NACC. AND FOR THAT MATTER, I AM ABOLISNG THE NACC. I AM GIVING JUN THE TOTAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR KIDNAPPING. AND I HAVE CHALLENGED HIM TO ELIMINATE KIDNAPPING IN ONE YEAR. AND THE BETTER NEWS IS, JUN EBDANE HAS ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE. BUT WHILE HE HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY, HE WILL NOT BE WITHOUT EXPERT HELP. I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT IN JUN EBDANE'S BATTLE AGAINST KIDNAPPING SYNDICATES, AND ALSO THE CONTINUING -- AND IT WILL BE AN
IMPROVED BATTLE AGAINST DRUG LORDS -- JUN EBDANE WILL BE ASSISTED BY A SPECIAL TASK FORCE TO BE HEADED BY DAVAO CITY MAYOR RUDY DUTERTE.

BUT OF COURSE, AS BATTALION COMMANDERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE MILITARY, THE BACKBONE OF THE PNP ARE THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTORS. AND SO, I MAKE A SPECIAL CALL ON ALL OUR PROVINCIAL DIRECTORS TO HELP YOUR NEW CHIEF PNP ENFORCE THE LAW -- ALL LAWS, INCLUDING OUR ANTI-GAMBLING LAWS AND ESPECIALLY OUR LAWS AGAINST KIDNAPPING AND ILLEGAL DRUGS.

IN CONNECTION WITH THIS, I HAVE DIRECTED JUN EBDANE TO CALL A SUMMIT ON DRUGS AND KIDNAPPING, SIMILAR TO THE SUMMIT CALLED BY JOEY AND LARRY ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING THAT THEY HELD LAST APRIL. I ASK JUN TO CALL THE SUMMIT FOR THIS COMING MONDAY AND HE SAID, "MA'AM, CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME TIME BECAUSE I HAVE TO PUT IT TOGETHER." "OKAY, JUN. HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED?" "INSTEAD OF MONDAY, CAN I CALL IT ON TUESDAY?" THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. SO, TUESDAY YOU WILL HAVE THIS SUMMIT.

WHAT ARE MY EXPECTATIONS OF THIS SUMMIT? IN THIS SUMMIT, ASIDE FROM YOUR OPERATIONAL AGREEMENTS WITH ONE ANOTHER ON HOW TO FIGHT KIDNAPPING AND HOW TO FIGHT DRUGS MORE EFFECTIVELY, I ALSO EXPECT THIS SUMMIT TO CLEARLY DEFINE THE PARAMETERS OF COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY WITH RESPECT TO KIDNAPPING AND DRUGS, INCLUDING THE APPLICATION OF DUE PROCESS TO THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST KIDNAPPING AND
DRUGS. I ALSO EXPECT THAT THESE PARAMETERS WILL BE UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED BY THE WHOLE PNP ORGANIZATION. AND AFTER THAT, THERE WILL BE NO MORE EXCUSES.

I WANT COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY TO BE INTERPRETED BOTH WAYS. FOR ERRANT COPS, THE COMMANDER WILL SHARE THE BLAME. AS I SAID EARLIER IN THE MILITARY, THE MORE FREQUENT THE BUNGLING HAPPENS, THE HIGHER THE COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY GOES. BUT THE SAME FOR GOOD THINGS. FOR GOOD COPS, THE COMMANDER WILL SHARE THE CREDIT. FOR INSTANCE, IT WAS ONE OF THE MEN OF THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR OF QUEZON WHO RESISTED THE BRIBERY ATTEMPT BUT THE
PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR SHARES IN THE GLORY.

MAY I ALSO CITE -- AGAIN, I SAID I CAN'T NAME ALL BUT I HAVE TO CITE FROM TOP OF THE MIND RECALL -- I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CITE THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR OF PANGASINAN, COLONEL BOGGIE MENDOZA FOR HIS SPECTACULAR SUCCESS AGAINST KIDNAPPING SYNDICATES AND TERRORIST CELLS IN PANGASINAN. AND SO I HAVE ASKED JOEY LINA TO APPOINT BOGGIE MENDOZA AS THE PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR OF PAMPANGA TO CLEAN UP THE SYNDICATES IN THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA, MY HOME
PROVINCE.

I MUST ALSO MAKE SPECIAL MENTION OF THE POLICE OFFICE IN BAGUIO CITY, WHOSE MEMBERS HELD THEIR GROUND AGAINST A GROUP OF CROOKED COPS WHO WANTED TO BRIBE THEIR WAY IN OBTAINING A CUSTODY OF A DRUG SUSPECT. I AM ORDERING COMMENDATIONS GIVEN TO THE FAITHFUL COPS IN BAGUIO INCLUDING THEIR STATION CHIEF UNDER THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY. AT THE SAME TIME, YESTERDAY, I INSTRUCTED LARRY MENDOZA TO MAKE AS HIS LAST ACT AS PNP
CHIEF, THE DISMISSAL OF THE WAYWARD COPS AND THE RELIEF OF THEIR COMMANDER. COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE GOOD AND COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY RELATED TO THE BAD.

I HAVE TO SAY IN ALL CANDOR THAT DESPITE ALL THAT LARRY MENDOZA AND JUN EBDANE AND THE POLICE FORCE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED -- WORTHY AS ALL THESE MAY BE AND I MENTIONED SOME OF THE MORE OUTSTANDING OF THEM, BUT NOT ALL SO MANY OUTSTANDING FEATS -- WE STILL HAVE AN IMAGE PROBLEM, YOU AND I, REGARDING PEACE AND ORDER. AND IN ALL CANDOR, I THINK WE DO HAVE SOME OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, YOU AND I. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE MUST BE UNITED TO FACE THE CHALLENGE.

THE FIRST THING WE MUST DO TO UNITE AND FACE THE CHALLENGE IS TO GET RID OF INTERNAL POLITICS. I AM GLAD THAT IN HIS SPEECH, JUN EBDANE USED THE ACRONYM, 'ONE' (O-N-P) -- ONE POLICE. IT IS NOT JUST AN ACRONYM, IT IS A CRYING NEED FOR THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE OF TODAY. LET US GET RID OF THE DIVISION AND THE INTRIGUE THAT IS THREATHENING TO ROCK THE
ORGANIZATION. I CALL ON ALL OF YOU, SENIOR OFFICERS OF PNP, THINK OF THE INSTITUTION, THINK OF THE COUNTRY. LET US GET OUR ACT TOGETHER. LET US GET OUR JOB DONE.

THE COUNTRY WAS ABLE TO DO IT IN THE CASE OF ABU SAYYAF. YES, THERE WERE INTRIGUES AND RIVALRIES, TOO IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE ABU SAYYAF -- MILITARY VERSUS PNP, MARINE VERSUS ARMY, THIS COMMANDER VERSUS THAT COMMANDER. IN THE END, EVERYBODY GOT HIS ACT TOGETHER AND WE HAVE WON AGAINST THE ABU SAYYAF. NOW, WE MUST DO IT IN THE CASE OF KIDNAPPERS AND DRUG LORDS.

OUR POLICE SHOULD NOT REST UNTIL OUR PEOPLE CAN FEEL NOT AS 'BE' BUT FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN THEIR HOMES, IN THE STREETS, IN THEIR PLACES OF WORK. THE FILIPINO PEOPLE DEMAND 100 PERCENT SERVICE FROM THEIR POLICEMEN AND THEY DESERVE NO LESS.

NOT ONLY THE ORDINARY CITIZENS BUT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NEEDS PEACE AND ORDER FOR THE MACROECONOMIC HORIZON TO PROVIDE MORE JOBS FOR OUR PEOPLE. WE ALSO NEED LAW AND ORDER FOR TOURISM, FOR INVESTMENT, FOR ENTERPRISE. AND WITHOUT THESE INVESTMENTS, THESE ENTERPRISE, WE CANNOT GENERATE JOBS. AND WITHOUT JOBS WE CANNOT FIGHT POVERTY.

IN ALL THESE, THERE WILL BE A CONTINUING POLICY SEAMLESSNESS STRETCHING ACROSS THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL HORIZON. I TALKED ABOUT THE ABU SAYYAF AND THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, AND HOW WE HAVE WON BECAUSE WE HAVE PUT OUR ACTS TOGETHER. AND OUR ACT TOGETHER IS NOT ONLY IN THE REALM OF UNIFORMED FORCES, IT IS ALSO IN THE REALM OF POLICY. ON JULY 15, I SHALL ASSUME IN CONCURRENT CAPACITY THE POST OF SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. I SHALL MAKE SURE WE STRENGTHEN THE INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO FIGHT TERRORISM AND UPHOLD THE LAW EVERYWHERE.

I AM PLACING FOREIGN POLICY AT THE SERVICE OF OUR FIGHT AGAINST HOMEGROWNTERRORISM AND CRIMINALITY AND LAWLESSNESS. AND ALL THESE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EIGHT REALITIES OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY ENVIRONMENT WHICH AS INCOMING FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.

FIRST POLICY ENVIRONMENT IS THE PARAMOUNT INFLUENCE OF CHINA, JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE SECURITY AND ECONOMIC EVOLUTION OF EAST ASIA;

SECOND, IS THE GROWING CONTEXT OF ASEAN IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS;

THIRD, IS THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC COMMUNITY;

FOURTH, IS THE LOOMING IMPORTANCE OF INTER-REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS;

FIFTH, THE PROTECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND MARITIME TERRITORY;

SIXTH, THE DRIVE FOR DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT, IN WHICH EUROPE LOOMS AS A MAJOR SOURCE ALONG THE WITH THE U.S., JAPAN, CHINA AND ASEAN;

SEVENTH, THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM;

AND, EIGHTH, THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF OVERSEAS FILIPINOS IN OUR SOCIOECONOMIC STABILITY.

THESE EIGHT REALITIES WILL SHAPE THE FOREIGN POLICY OF THE MACAPAGAL-ARROYO ADMINISTRATION.

FROM THE STRATEGIC HORIZON, WE SHALL JOIN HANDS IN THE DOMESTIC REALM TO ENSURE THE RULE OF LAW AND THE ASCENDANCY OF OUR DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE. AND IN THESE, THE POLICE PLAY A PARAMOUNT ROLE.

THUS, TO LARRY MENDOZA, WHO EMBARKS ON A NEW CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE, YOU WILL HAVE SOMETHING NEW BUT YOU WILL HAVE SOMETHING OLD BECAUSE ENFORCEMENT IS A VERY BIG PART OF THE WORK OF DOTC. AND TO JUN EBDANE, WHO FACES THE CHALLENGE OF IMPROVING ON THE WORK OF HIS PREDECESSOR, I SAY: "CARRY ON AND GOOD LUCK. THE FILIPINO PEOPLE LOOK TO YOU FOR THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF SERVICE IN OUR COUNTRY. I KNOW YOU WILL NOT FAIL US.

KAYA, MABUHAY SI JUN! MABUHAY SI LARRY! MABUHAY ANG LAHAT NG ATING PULIS!

THANK YOU

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