By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
MANILA — Deputy PNP Chief for Operations Police Lt. Gen. Rhodel “GenROS” O. Sermonia (Ret.), First Nominee of United Frontliners Partylist, on Monday (March 24) said that he has just arrived from a week of campaign in Mindanao such as Socsargen, BARMM and short of visiting BaSulTa (Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi) provinces.
During the Balitaan sa Tinapayan hosted by NPC Director Benedict Abaygar, Sermonia said “It’s a good feeling that our countrymen are seeing hope for the future.”
If elected in the 20th Congress, Sermonia will push for a comprehensive healthcare insurance policy for all frontliners, especially for their dependents.
He noted that more than half of the 115 million population of the Philippines are frontliners.
“The United Frontliners will represent the huge marginalized groups that give service with dedication to Filipinos everyday,” he added.
He cited the frontliners such as the police, soldiers, health workers, among others with issues and concerns.
Sermonia noted that there are already good laws for “Tier 1” frontliners both in public and private sector.
However, he said, there seems to be no insurance policy, “isang kahig, isang tuka”.
Sermonia would push for the automatic insurance for frontliners in the sense that they risk their lives in order th deliver service to Filipinos without fear or favor.
He noted that during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Filipnos experience and feel the service of the frontliners.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit hard the Philippines from March 15, 2020 until December 2022.
If he would be asked, Sermonia said that he would also volunteer in the “war on drugs”, noting that Bataan was the first province in the country which was declared as “drug-cleared” province during the time of PNP Chief and now Senaror Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Sermonia shared it in his own little way believing in the “whole of country approach” in dealing with the illegal drugs problem.
“We will only be successful if all the segments of the government, provinces will participate in addressing the problem on illegal drugs, which is tried and tested,” he said.
Sermonia had been a police provincial director, a regional director until he became the PNP Deputy Chief for Operations in the span of 40 years in service.
He said that he made the last legacy program one year before he retired. Sermonia literally visited the whole country with the commanders through Transparency, Accountability and Responsibility by way of the Doctrine of Command Responsibility, Police Operational Procedure, and Internal Cleansing Program.
Sermonia cited Preventive where police should be reminded to be upright and moral. Disciplinary and Restorative, which the police should continuously follow and sustain.
“We work in the spirit of volunteerism,” he said, adding that Albert Martinez is the Secretary General of the United Frontliners Partylist.
Sermonia had been offered to represent five other partylist organizations, but he chose the United Frontliners Partylist believing that it truly represents the underprivileged, marginalized and underrepresented sector of the Philippine society.
The United Frontliners Partylist is the true partylist which is a combination of all frontliners, volunteers, including the President of the Anti-Crime and Community Emergency Response Team Dr. Miguel C, Ortiz, Lt. Gen. Connor, Anthony D. Canlas, Sr., nurses, doctors and force multipliers.
Sermonia noted that he still believes the government that it’s just a matter of reminding them.
“I’ve been in many places in the world,” he said, noting that “OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) have their own problems, especially the families they left behind in the Philippines.”
Sermonia had visited countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where he addressed the concerns and problems of the OFWs and collaborated with the DMW (Department of Migrant Workers).
“It’s just a matter of how they are performing their job, whether they are doing their job or just doing business there,” Sermonia said.
“It’s just a matter of implementation and efficient use of resources,” he added, referring to the quality good public service.
Sermonia noted that there are those who have been in government service for 20, 30 years, were there have been changes?
He sought the help of the media in order to have the true essence of partylist, noting that during his rounds in the country, it was perceived that millions of pesos are spent for political purposes.
“Sipag, pawis, tiyaga, kulang na lang dugo,” Sermonia said was their kind of service from the heart.
“We will give you true service and we will not make business out of you,” he said.
Sermonia will push for true justice and due process when asked about the political noise and issues and concerns, especially the alleged EJKs (extrajudicial killings).
“You should be reliable and trustworthy. I did not succeed because of iron fist, but through winning the hearts and minds of the people,” Sermonia said.
He will also push for the social justice and insurance policy for the frontliners, especially those who are the “poorest of the poor”.
Sermonia stressed that those policemen who did not follow due process and set aside the rules of engagement for police operations, were dealt with accordingly.
“Tokhang (Katok at Pakiusap) was a good program where many suspected drug users or addicts voluntarily surrendered for them to be able to change their lives,” he said.
Sermonia pointed out that those policemen who are now still detained due to their involvement in alleged EJKs and “Tokhang”, “deserves due process and have to be assisted and defended if they are really innocent.”
He noted that it was officially recorded and reported that during the “Oplan Tokhang, 1.5 million voluntarily surrendered and more than 100,000 were arrested and detained and they were given the chance and opportunity to be rehabilitated.”
“Whole of government approach should have been the mode of implementation of Oplan Tokhang, awareness campaign, responsible reporting. Synergize the work of the DepEd, DSWD and the civil society organizations,” Sermonia said. ###
