By COL Dencio S. Acop (Ret), PhD, CPP
When I returned home after graduating from West Point in 1983, I was pleasantly surprised to see Manong Romy awaiting my arrival at the Manila airport. He said: “Start adjusting yourself to the realities here”. I knew what he meant. He was reminding me that the operating environment back home would be so unlike the ideal situation I was coming from. Then PC Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Acop was already a high-ranking officer of the PC Metropolitan Command (METROCOM) at the time but his demeanor at the airport did not reflect any VIP entitlements. It was because he was there on a personal mission. But someone recognized him and said: “Sir, what are you doing there waiting outside?” Manong Romy replied: “Ayaw akong papasukin ng guwardia eh” (The guard wouldn’t let me in). But there was also a deeper reason for his being there. His father, Sergeant Philip Acop, passed away before he could attend my West Point graduation. Uncle Bob was already proud when his two sons graduated from the Philippine Military Academy – Manong Romy in 1970 and Manong Rene in 1971. In fact, the father was the first to salute his own sons when each graduated. But he said he was also very proud that a nephew of his would be graduating from the United States Military Academy and so he just had to attend. I sent him an invitation but a few weeks before graduation, I was saddened to learn of his sudden passing. In his stead, Manang Cion, the wife of Manong Romy, came to attend. Later back home when Manong Romy shook my hand and noticed mine wasn’t a firm grip, he reminded me. When I was in trouble, he unhesitatingly helped me each time.
Once in 1988, I headed a company of the PC Special Action Force to help enforce the firearms ban during local elections in Ilocos Norte. Manong Romy happened to be the PC provincial commander there. When a mayoralty candidate who was a retired general refused to have his car trunk checked, seeking refuge instead at the residence of the incumbent congressman, Manong Romy came to personally supervise making sure the inspection got conducted. That candidate with an armory of weapons inside his vehicle lost the election. In 1990, he was provincial commander of Agusan del Norte when his classmate staged a rebellion against the government. I was an aide to Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos at the time, and we were traveling from South Korea when Ramos heard the news. Whether Manong Romy knew it or not, Ramos always supported him and Manong Rene because they were two of his best officers. I know because I worked under Ramos for years. When I first met Ramos at his 30th class reunion at West Point, the first words of the PC Chief were: “How are you related to Romeo and Reynaldo?” Me and my two cousins all served in the Philippine Constabulary. When Manong Romy became a congressman, FVR said to me: “Magaling talaga yang pinsan mo” (Your cousin is really good). Ramos was greatly impressed by Manong Romy. Even when I was already with the private sector, Manong Romy would call to check in on his due diligence as when he investigated a case that had something to do with the private security industry. When my first wife passed away in 2018, he condoled with me and my family for days. In my brief attempt to run for politics in 2021, he candidly advised me. When my brother became ill a year ago, Manong Romy with his son Philip helped my brother without hesitation. He was not only family but a mentor. He was one who was a quick learner. And with the lessons he learned, he used those to develop himself. But he didn’t just keep those learned lessons to himself. He passed them on to others. He once said that one lesson he himself learned and never forgot was to “work your way up to a level where you can influence the situation”.
When I learned Manong Romy wasn’t doing too well, I messaged him and he just said: “I am moving on with life accepting this reality. Thank you for your kind words, concern, and prayers.” He was a man of courage. He epitomized that all his life. He wasn’t afraid to do the right thing even if it was unpopular. When he did, many people who got stung by what he said would get back at him accusing him of being “high and mighty”. People would bring back the past like the “kuratong baleleng” case where he was tried but exonerated. But such are the rigors of public service especially in a soft state like the Philippines where even just trying to get the job done has its undeserved risks. Manong Romy was no saint like most of us. But he was a good man who did his best to do good in the world. What more can be asked of a man? You can see the fruits of his labor through his career, his family, and his faith in God. Admittedly, I didn’t always agree with everything he did. But, overall, I see him as a true human being who was sincere in his dealings and who tried to right the wrongs he witnessed in the world. He was a no-nonsense guy. He had a goal and he just went out and did it without fanfare and frills. He was very diligent and did the work whatever it took to do it, including the risks.
Despite my awareness of him being ill, I was still both shocked and saddened by Manong Romy’s sudden passing. We now mourn his great loss grieving alongside his children and grandchildren and a grateful nation. From the threads in my public posts on his passing, I clearly see how greatly the people appreciated and admired his courage, competence, and fairness in what they saw from his televised congressional investigations. I share the words of his colleague and former Senator Leila de Lima which aptly capture the public service record of Manong Romy: “We are saddened by the passing of Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop. Our prayers and condolences go to his family and loved ones. As a police general, lawyer and lawmaker, he served his country well and with distinction. The House lost a deft, no-nonsense interrogator in high-profile inquiries, as we all witnessed his cool intensity and diligence during the probes on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Duterte’s murderous war on drugs, the proliferation of fake news, and corruption issues in government agencies, among others. We will miss his sharp mind and courageous stance in many pressing issues in our country. Maraming salamat at paalam. Rest in power, Rep. Acop.”
If he is being vilified by undeserved vitriolics even in death, it only means he did an effective job in defending the rule of law from the lawless and in doing the righteous thing amidst a sea of malfeasance and hate by the God-less and ignorant. Well done, Manong. Be thou at peace. You are now reunited with Manang Cion and your parents.