(Eagle News) – More than a month before the scheduled retirement of Philippine National Police chief General Oscar Albayalde , he was given a testimonial in his honor by the Philippine Military Academy where he graduated ‘cum laude” in March 1986.
His classmates or “mistahs” at the Sinagtala Class of 1986, including former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, were also present during the event on Saturday.
On November 8, Albayalde will be retiring from the service when he turns 56 years old – the mandatory retirement age for the PNP.
The PNP chief turns nostalgic, as he recalled what happened when he was still in his second year at the PMA when a hazing incident also affected his Sinagtala Class.
“Noong kami ay second-year, meron ding na-involve na hazing na mga classmates namin. But then we were asking the commandants of cadets to have mercy on those other two na wala naming kinalaman. And yet dini-dismiss din nila yung dalawa,” Albayalde said recalling what happened more than 30 years ago.
“We appealed as class, but it was denied. Then, we decided to walk out,” he said.
September 28 was the date when the PMA Sinagtala Class staged that walkout to express their support for their two classmates who were dismissed for an alleged hazing incident where, according to Albayalde, they had no involvement in.
“Akala nga namin katapusan na ng cadet days namin yun. But then again, we were made to go back. Pero we were punished,” he said.
That punishment involved them marching under the heat of the sun daily at the PMA oval.
Those memories as well as other experiences that they had at the PMA were what molded them to be the leaders that they are now.
-Controversy before retirement –
But Albayalde just months before his retirement is being hounded by another controversy, as his name is dragged into the so-called activity of “ninja cops” or policemen who recycle confiscated drugs when he was relieved as PNP provincial chief in Pampanga.
He was then relieved as Pampanga police director under the doctrine of command responsibility following a controversial anti-illegal drugs operation by police officers in November 2013 in Mexico, Pampanga. The case against him was dismissed 2017.
The PNP chief is intent on clearing his name. On Tuesday, he will attend a Senate hearing on the issue.
He said he will be asking the then PNP deputy regional police director for operations Manuel Gaerlan to also testify during the hearing since he was the one who headed the investigation of the case then.
Albayalde said that the case was dismissed way back 2017.
“He (General Gaerlan) is willing to testify dahil sya ang naglead nung investigation na yun so that everybody will be clear. Kasi kung ako nagsasabi it’s all parang self serving,” he said.
Albayalde is looking forward to having more time with his family once he retires.
The police general whose father, Philippine Air Force retired master sergeant Fidel S. Albayalde, had been a big influence in his entry to the PMA, wants more family time with his wife Cherrilyn and four children — three sons and one daughter.
As a father, Albayalde was a disciplinarian. But he did not press any of his three sons to enter the PMA.
-Legacy to the PNP: “Let the people judge me”
Albayalde, known for his strict discipline and surprise inspections when he was still the National Capital Regional Police Office chief, said he had tried his best to reform the PNP.
He turns a bit emotional when asked about his legacy for the PNP.
“Let the people judge me. Hindi ko alam kung ano sasabihin ng mga tao. Whatever they will say I will accept,” he said.
“For myself, I did everything, I gave my best,” he added.
(With a report from Mar Gabriel, Eagle News Service)