“Romy Acop’s incisive questionings were so impressive that the public stayed glued to the TV sets”
LAST Sunday, the retired military and police officers commissioned into the regular force of the AFP in 1970 received the sad news of the untimely passing of Congressman Romeo Acop, one of its distinguished members.
Before his passing, he was the only one as far as I know in the batch of 1970 still carrying the torch for the group.
No one among those coming from the Philippine Military Academy, Direct Commissioned officers, Australian Officer Candidate School graduates, or those from the United States service academies are still in government service except him.
In fact, all those who came from Foreign Service academies sadly all passed away much earlier. Only the 1970 PMA graduates and Direct Commissioned officers are still around.
As the public already knows, Congressman Acop or Romy to his many friends carried the torch remarkably well especially during the House of Representatives QuadCom hearings looking into how the OVP spent its intelligence funds.
His incisive questionings were so impressive that the public stayed glued to the TV sets.
I did not only know him professionally being both officers in the then Philippine Constabulary and Philippine National Police but personally as well.
He was a year ahead of me in high school and my senior in the Preparatory Military Training (PMT) program and it so happens that I was the one who introduced him to his late wife Congresswoman Cion Marrero Acop, a close relative who sadly passed away a few years back.
Although Romy’s passing was so sudden, coming during this Yuletide Season like a thief in the night, he leaves his three children and grandchildren a legacy of patriotic and dedicated government service that they can be very proud of.
We of the so-called batch of 1970 extend our sincerest condolences. He lived his life to the fullest.
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Traffic is always a big hustle in the Metro area during the Christmas holidays.
Unfortunately, it is also the time when I have to perform my yearly obligatory duty of picking up family members from the airport that I only see once a year.
One thing I noticed this year is that traffic has become more congested much earlier than usual.
One has to meticulously plan dinner or shopping trips in order not to be caught in heavy traffic.
My grandson and his girlfriend for instance were late for more than two hours for dinner due to traffic for a trip of less than three kilometers.
Yet, the best advice that MMDA can give to the motoring public is to be more patient.
Dagdagan pa raw natin ang pasensya sa kalsada.
It is like the DTI telling us that P500 is enough for Noche Buena for a family of four or five.
Don’t theses agencies realize that it is better simply to keep quiet and say nothing at times?
This is not a good sign to come in spite of the appointment of former PNP Chief General Nicolas Torre as General Manager of the MMDA.
We do not know whether his appointment will mean better traffic next year for the NCR since the rehabilitation of EDSA has just started and will surely become a traffic battleground next year.
His leadership style might explain why he was appointed to that position considering that enforcement will be an important factor to keep traffic moving.
Still, it is a perplexing appointment because he is replacing someone who I understand is a retired police Lt Colonel or Colonel and he is a four-star police General.
It is as if the Palace had to scratch the bottom of the barrel to make the appointment but he accepted the designation nonetheless.
Perhaps, he is already bored doing nothing from the time he was suddenly replaced as PNP chief that he simply wants to get back to work which is his good trait.
He never showed any outward resentment when he was relieved as CPNP after just three months.
He has also continued to support PBBM in spite of the way he was treated.
Let us hope that he will be happy in his new job because it is actually very demanding with hardly enough time for family.
But General Torre thrives in such situations. So, let’s all wish him well and all the luck in the world. Merry Christmas to one and all.
