Profile: The legacy of General Rommel Francisco Dayleg Marbil

Gen. Marbil: “Let’s put dignity back into the uniform”

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Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil might only have served less than two years in his position before retiring on June 5, but he has made a lot of important changes that many believed could not be done even in decades.

Perhaps one of the most visible and dramatic milestones was his arrest of controversial spiritual leader Apollo Quiboloy after an intense 16-day search operation. Then, the relatively peaceful mid-term senatorial elections this year was attributed to the consistent enforcement of law and order that the PNP brought to the process.

But perhaps the most lasting legacy that the general will leave behind and would want his successors to continue is the reforms and systems improvement that he had implemented in the formerly embattled institution. Under his command, police officers---who had once been derided, feared, scorned, and ridiculed as inept or corrupt---had regained the trust and confidence of the people. The transformation was neither cosmetic nor PR hype: as being seen and experienced by the public, the PNP personnel were doing their job, and doing it well.

It was proof that Gen. Marbil had accomplished one of his first goals when he first assumed his post. As he puts it, “Let’s put the dignity back into the uniform.”

Accountability, integrity, and a high sense of duty were what he demanded from his men and women in arms. He backed up this strong commitment with systematized, measurable methods that did accurate record-keeping and checks and balances. Gone were the days that errant or abusive officers would be “exiled” or sent to lie low in places like Mindanao, only to be recalled after the heat had died down.