Ex-PNP chief Razon: I’m fit for peace adviser post

MANILA, Philippines – Incoming presidential peace adviser Avelino Razon Jr. on Sunday said his decades-long stint at the Philippine National Police (PNP) makes him competent for his upcoming post. In an interview on dzBB radio, Razon, currently deputy director general of the National Security Council, said his 38 years of service at the PNP and his experience in bringing peace to the country as the organization's head give him an edge as head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). “Tayo ay nanungkulan sa National Police for 38 years at ang ating inaasam-asam ay katahimikan, kaayusan, at peace sa ating bansa. Ang ating experience at exposure sa ganitong larangan ay magagamit po doon sa peace process," Razon said. [“I had served in the National Police for 38 years where I worked for peace and orderliness. My experience and exposure in that field will be useful in the peace process."] Last week, Malacañang announced the appointment of Razon to the top post in OPAPP, which would be vacated by Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon, who was appointed as new head of the Presidential Management Staff. The reshuffle will be effective February 1. Razon is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1974. Before assuming his post as PNP chief on September 2007, he was the deputy police chief for administration. Razon, who was also deputy chief of the Presidential Security Group during the term of former President Fidel Ramos, retired in September 2008 upon reaching the mandatory military and police retirement age of 56. In October, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo named him as deputy director general of the National Security Council, which is at the helm of Norberto Gonzales. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV