Deputy Director General Geary Barias, is ending almost 39 years of military and police career on March 1.

Barias who had confronted man-made and natural calamities in some of his major assignments was the Metro Manila police chief in 2007 when a group of Magdalo soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV occupied the Manila Peninsula Hotel, the bombing of Batasan Pambansa complex, Glorietta blasts, as well as raid and bombing of Silay Bacolod airport and Guimaras oil in 2006, while serving as the regional police director of Western Visayas.

Despite the challenges, Barias reached the number two position of the Philippine National Police, next only to PNP chief Jesus Verzosa, as the Deputy Chief for Administration.

On March 1 Barias will turn 56, the mandatory retirement age for military and police personnel.

He summed up his 39 years of service to the government as a “very gratifying one” and full of challenges. But his friends in Negros Occiudental believe Barias survived them all with flying colors.

Barias who made Negros Occidental as his first stop of series of exit calls Saturday, said he considered the immediate solution of Manila Peninsula standoff in Nov.29, 2007, where Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and his rebel pack had occupied, as his best achievement.

In all past coup attempts, it took several days before they was resolved, But in the Manila Peninsula incident, “We were able to do it in seven hours,” Barias, who was then serving as Metro Manila police chief, said.

It was so dangerous then because a series of rallies were scheduled the next day, Bonifacio Day. If that happened, then, we would have been overwhelmed by the rallies around Manila Pen, and anything could have happened, Barias said.

But Barias got the ire of media for arresting, worse, handcuffing journalists who covered the event inside the Manila Peninsula, and defied his order for them to go out, before the assault took place.

Despite the incident, Barias said his relationship with the media remains “cordial”. “There was no animosity, I harbor no ill feeling against them”, he added.

After all, he also said, it’s their job and it was all on a professional basis, Barias who is also known as “Darling of the Press” in Western Visayas, said.

He also admitted being emotional when he confronted Trillanes alone in one of the Manila Peninsula rooms, in frustration about being treated shabbily by fellow junior PMA mistah, as he tried peacefully to end the standoff, at the same time stay cool.

Barias said he recalled saying “ Bullshit Mr. Trillanes! Do you think you have the monopoly of patriotism and love of country?” He also admitted throwing his cap in front of Trillanes.

He laughed as he recalled that his hands were shaking, when he was about to drink coffee at the Manila Peninsula Hotel, after assuring the Filipino people that the situation was under control.

Barias went inside the hotel that had been occupied by rebel soldiers, accompanied by his aide, to personally assess the situation.

He said he was jeered by the Magdalo soldiers as retreated the hotel, but he came out winner, when the standoff ended without “bloodshed”.

Before the Manila Peninsula incident, there was a powerful explosion at the Glorietta Mall in Makati on Oct. 19, 2007. It was followed by the bombing at the entrance of the Batasan Complex.

But Barias said he was lucky and very fortunate to have a team of probers who were very good, and came out with the solution and arrest of the suspects quickly.

He also recalled a huge rally at Paseo de Roxas in Makati, brought about by the ZTE scandal, participated in by about 75,000 people, which almost turned into a People Power thing, if it had not been properly handled.

When he was the regional police director of Western Visayas from 2006, Barias was confronted by the Guimaras oil spill issue and the raid on the Silay-Bacolod international airport perpetrated by communist rebels.

Barias, however, said he never tried to look negatively at major incidents wherever he was assigned. In fact, he added, “The only thing that I know is giving service to the people” especially in Negros Occidental where he described his stint as “very colorful” because of the friendly Negrenses, he added.

Asked about his plans after retirement, Barias answered with a heartily laugh” I will go back to my family doing some apostolic duties –taking care of my three apos (grandsons)”.

Asked also if he will join politics like his predecessors who served as Negros Occidental provincial police director – Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velaso and Director Leopoldo Bataoil – Barias said “It is not my cup of tea”.

Bataoil is running as congressman in the second district of Pangasinan, while Velasco is the mayor of Santo Rosario town, also in the same province.*GPB

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