Ex-men in uniform aspiring for elective gov’t positions Cebu Daily News
November 14, 2006
Senator Panfilo Lacson is not the only retired Philippine National Police officer who will run for an elective position in the May polls.
The Inquirer counted at least five other retired police officers who have signaled their intention to run in the 2007 local elections.
Former National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Reynaldo Velasco is said to be gunning for a Congress seat in his native Pangasinan's third district. He has yet to signify under which ticket he will run. Present Mindanao State University (MSU) president Ricardo De Leon, another former NCRPO chief, is also said to be seeking a local position in Pangasinan.
Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Eduardo Matillano is set to shake up local politics in Palawan by running for mayor against former mayor Edward Hagedorn. Matillano is a known rival of Lacson. Both are graduates of the PMA Class of 1971.
Prospero Noble, who recently retired as Southern Tagalog police commander, is said to be running for a congressional seat in Zamboanga del Norte.
Reynor Gonzales, former chief of the defunct Narcotics Group and former chief of the Maritime Group, is said to be running for mayor of a town in Iloilo province.
Eduardo Ermita, a former military man and graduate of the PMA, is said to be running for a seat in the Senate in the next elections.
But the former police generals will have to learn from the lessons of other police generals who ran unsuccessfully for local seats in the 2004 elections.
Thompson Lantion, now head of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), lost his bid for the gubernatorial seat in Nueva Vizcaya despite running under the administration Lakas party. Renato Paredes, former chief of the Traffic Management Group (TMG), also lost his bid for a congressional seat in Ifugao province.
Men in uniform have a special appeal to the public. Former police officers could impress voters with their exploits in the service. In a country frustrated with crime and corruption, an image of being tough on crime and a reasonably good track record can lure voters. /Inquirer
