A Tondo-raised cop’s mission to save his hometown

“Masarap mabuhay sa Tondo,” Police Chief Inspector Rosalino “Jhun” Ibay Jr. mused as he surveyed the city.

For most, this old Manila district is the grittiest area in the city, perhaps even the metro. But for Ibay, it is home.

Born and bred in Tondo, Ibay has not had an easy life.

He was the youngest of five children, and the only one of them to finish school. When he was 13, his father was killed in a road accident involving a jeepney.

The tragedy proved to be the defining moment of his life.

“Naging inspirasyon ko yung father ko...'Yun na ang nag-focus sa isip ko,” he told GMA News Online.

As a police officer, Ibay had wanted to crack down on criminal offenders, but this is easier said than done. There were too many residents in the cramped city.

This led Ibay to design the Barangay Management System (BMS), which aims to keep updated records of residents and make these easily accessible for verification, monitoring, and reference purposes.

His innovations have helped him rise in his profession, but Police Chief Inspector Jhun Ibay is still a son of Tondo at heart. Photos and video: Jessica Bartolome

The BMS was first made available in Tondo. Now, it is being utilized in 35 barangays in Manila.

This is not the only system Ibay created.

In 2012, Manila was tagged as the Carnapping Capital of the Philippines, with an average of three car thefts reported daily.

Soon after, Ibay was assigned as chief of Manila Police District’s carnapping program.

To solve the highly publicized issue, Ibay created the Carnapped Recovered Abandoned Vehicles (CRAV) initiative, which maps out each stolen vehicle and utilizes a systematic encoding for each motor vehicle and motorcycle.

After a number of operations, Ibay’s team managed to recover hundreds of stolen vehicles, arrest numerous suspects, and file cases in court.

Ibay now serves as chief of the Manila Police’s District Intelligence and Operation Unit. His initiatives over his 20 years in service have been recognized numerous times.

He was named Best Provincial Chief during his stint in Davao del Norte’s Regional Highway Patrol Group in 2011, and recently he was named one of Metrobank Foundation’s Outstanding Filipinos.

For all his success, Ibay still holds a soft spot for Tondo.

He has led numerous successful operations against the most notorious criminal activities in the district, everything from illegal drugs to prostitution. But he also conducts a lot of missions beyond the badge.

BANAT

Ibay is one of a group of policemen who have taken to riding across the streets...to feed the poor.

These cops are part of the Buklod at Alyansang Nagkakaisang Anak Tondo (BANAT), a self-funded group that conducts charity missions around the district founded in 2006. 

It is composed mostly of policemen, but its members also include doctors, dentists, seamen, even carinderia owners. One thing they all have in common: they all live in Tondo.

The group has conducted numerous medical, dental, and feeding programs. They provide aid for those affected by disasters and calamities, such as fires and floods. They also arrange a noche buena for the poorer communities every Christmas Eve. The funds for these activities all come from their own pockets.

“Lahat ng binubunot namin dito ay sariling gastos namin. Ang pinakabayad na sa amin dito ang ngiti ng mga natutulungan namin,” Ibay said.

Aside from helping the less fortunate, they also want to clean up the name of Tondo.

“Pag sinabing Tondo, akala nila masyadong magulo. Iba ang perception nila sa mismong pagkatao ng mga nakatira dito,” Ibay said.

‘No perfect institution’

Amid the controversy surrounding the Philippine National Police due to the killings in the war against illegal drugs, Ibay wants Filipinos to remember that there are still ideal policemen out there.

He admitted that the police force is not perfect, but said that it is one of the few institutions that is mandated to protect even if it means death.

“Kaming mga pulis 'yun ang mandate namin. To serve and protect. Kaya masakit pag may mga  critics sa...alleged na nakikita nilang mali na ginawa ng kapulisan. Lagi ko ngang sinasabi, there is no perfect institution,” he said.

“Siguro masyado lang din silang ideal sa kapulisan. Kailangan laging tama, kasi protector of the citizen,” he added. — BM, GMA News