Wilfredo Datu Cruz
Wilfredo Datu Cruz (born in 1938)is an officer in the Philippine National Police.
Biography
WILFREDO DATU CRUZ who was born in Dec. 16, 1938 is the eldest of the five children of GEN. PELAGIO and LEONOR CRUZ. His father was the former COMMANDING GENERAL of the PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE
and later the CHIEF OF STAFF of the ARMED FORCES of the PHILIPPINES.
He took up his initial elementary schooling in Baliwag, Bulacan but finished Grade School (1951) and High School (1955) in ATENEO DE MANILA.
Like his father he entered the PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY and graduated belonging to PMA Class 1962. He joined the PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY and was first assigned as a junior officer in the MISAMIS ORIENTAL CONSTABULARY COMMAND based in Cagayan Oro City . His stint in Mindanao included assignments as Zone Operations officer of the Fourth Constabulary Zone in Parang, Maguindanao, Provincial Commander of South Cotabato and later of Davao Sur followed by his assignment as METRODISCOM COMMANDER of Davao City . His last assignment in Mindanao was as the REGIONAL COMMANDER of the AUTONOMOUS REGION of MUSLIM MINDANAO.
In February 1986, he joined the PEOPLE POWER revolution against then PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS. During that period of conflict then Gen. Fidel Ramos presided a meeting in Camp Crame and instructed Wilfredo Cruz who was then a Colonel to seize and control the ARMED FORCES LOGISTICS COMMAND. At that meeting the Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force and Flag Officer in Command were designated. Ramos assumed as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
Cruz was promoted to the rank of POLICE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT equivalent to the rank of Brigadier General in the military by President Corazon Aquino who at this time abolished the Philippine Constabulary and created the PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE. He assumed various positions of responsibilities in the PNP such as DIRECTOR, HIGHWAY PATROL; DIRECTOR, AVIATION SECURITY GROUP and DIRECTOR, INTELLIGENCE GROUP.
He received his second star as POLICE DIRECTOR (Major General in the AFP) from President Fidel Ramos.
He was awarded the Senior Parachutist Badge after undergoing the Basic Airborne Course (BAC 19) of the Armed Forces. He finished the COMMAND and GENERAL STAFF COURSE in Hamburg, Germany in 1977.
His last assignment in the PNP was DIRECTOR, DIRECTORATE FOR INVESTIGATION and DETECTIVE
MANAGEMENT retiring in the Police Service in Dec 16, 1994 upon reaching the compulsory retirement
age of 56 years old.
He has a MASTER’s DEGREE in BUSINESS MANAGEMENT from the UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES and at
present working as CONSULTANT in various business entities. He is married to the former CECILIA
DEL PRADO PUYO of Cagayan de Oro and blessed with 5 children.
Retirement
CRUZ joined the PHILIPPINE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL BANK (PCIB) and was appointed as VICE
PRESIDENT to take charge of security matters upon recommendation of RAFAEL BUENAVENTURA, President
of PCIB, a high school classmate from ATENEO DE MANILA.
He stayed in the bank for a period of four years and within that period he was elected
PRESIDENT OF BANK SECURITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION whose members are composed of different Bank
Security Managers.
He left PCIB when it was sold and taken over by EQUITABLE BANK. PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA then
appointed CRUZ as a DIRECTOR OF CLARK INERTNAATIONAL AIRPORT CORPORATION (CIAC) based inside the
former Clark Field in Angeles, Pampanga.
FRANK PUZON, CIAC President and at the same time a Director of the PHILIPPINE AMUSEMENT AND
GAMES CORPORATION (PAGCOR), taking note of the good working habits of CRUZ, recommended him to MRS. ALICE REYES, PAGCOR President to take over as MANAGING HEAD, SECURITY DEPARTMENT which the
PAGCOR BOARD approved.
CRUZ upon reaching the age of 65, which is the retirement age for government corporation rank
and file retired from PAGCOR and has been working as CONSULTANT of different firms ever since.
He is a member of the FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS and a thirty second degree MASON OF THE SCOTTISH RITE and a KNIGHT TEMPLAR of the YORK RITE. He is a past MASTER OF SILANGANAN LODGE NO. 19 and also the charter MASTER OF BALIWAG LODGE NO. 301 which he organized and started.