Ladies and gentlemen, let us sing together (to the tune of Philippine Geography by the late Yoyoy Villame):
Philippines ang atong country
Si Duterte ang presidente
Si Leni ang iyang bise
Bato dela Rosa ang chief PNP
Gipangusgan ang kampanya sa droga
Unom ka-buwan lang ang kontrata
Mga drug lord karun hadluk na
Ang uban wa pa moporma mao nangatumba.
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| PO3 Janew Villame sings like the late Yoyoy Villame who happened to be his grandfather. His new “Oplan Tokhang” song is used by different police stations in Visayas to give message in convincing drug users and pushers to give up, stop their illegal activities and start a new life. Leo Udtohan/Chronicle |
Si General Talino ang among RD
Gikan kini sab sa PNP
Ming-order gyud sa mga hepe Oplan Tokhang pangusgan kini,
Sa pangampanya sa ilegal nga droga
Double barel kung mapagahi pa
Busa tago kamo durogista kay ang kabaghuan ania na.
Akoang nabalitaan karun
Adunay summary execution
Makalilisang paminawon tungod sa droga init gyud karun
Sa Tokhang nga atong programa
Daghang drug lord nga min-surrender na
ug ang uban nagmagahi pa, unya nanukol mao nadisgrasya.
Ayeyeyeayeyeye
Si Duterte ang presidente
Ayeyeyeayeyeye
Bato dela Rosa ang chief PNP
Ayeyeyeayeyeye
Pulos gayud mga Bisaya kini
Ang mag druglord karun hadluk na
Ang uban kanila mingsurrender na..
Daghan gayud ang gahig og ulo
Nagpatuo nga mingsurrender na kuno
Sa police station nanumpa kuno
Arun ang iyang ngalan malimpyo
Bag-o mingbalik sa bisyo
Ang pulis ra diay iyang gitunto
Pag-monitor nasakpan gyud siya
Mingsukol sa buy-bust mao nangatumba....
According to our Presidente, the Philippines must be a drug-free country.
That song, Oplan Tokhang, is the (un)official theme song of the “Oplan Tokhang,” a campaign that involved policemen knocking on houses of drug suspects and asking them to surrender.
As the war against illegal drugs took a brutal, and often left a bloody trail across the country, police in Cebu City (soon in Bohol?) have found a novel way of softening suspects up: serenading and asking them to surrender.
With guitars and portable sound systems in tow (sometimes with a hearse to add horror effect), police belt out “Oplan Tokhang,” a novelty song composed by the grandson of Yoyoy Villame PO3 Janew Villame of Clarin Police Station.
Police said they came up with the concept to emphasize how serious the authorities are in weeding out the illegal drugs.
Last January, Villame, a singing policeman, has become a sensation after bus passengers listened to him belting out Yoyoy Villame’s songs at the Dao Integrated Bus Terminal in this city.
Villame, 37, stunned passengers by plucking his guitar to perform the classic songs of the late Villame.
But he had a different mission: To preach about the danger of illegal drugs.
Villame was transferring from different buses with his guitar. He was accompanied by Inspector Lamberto Hibaya, 50, who was assigned as his partner to give a very short “lecture” about the dangers of illegal drugs to the passengers.
After the info-dissemination, Villame told passengers he was not a busker but he wanted to share his music.
He sang his original composition “Pulis Bol-anon,” a song about Boholano policemen who are crime busters with a message of fighting illegal drugs. The song also warns Boholanos about vote buying.
Part of the lyrics said, “Kaming pulis Bol-anon ayaw kami i-under basin kulang og tulog dili jud mo-surrender. Ayaw tamaytamaya ...kasagaran nakapatay tungod sa self-defense.” (We are Boholano policemen, don’t underestimate us, even we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t surrender. Don’t mock us..we killed because of self-defense)
The chorus said, “Kitang tanang Bol-anon, kinahanglan maghiniusa. Batukan nato ang krimen ilabina sa illegal nga droga. Inig-abot sa election dili na magpailad pa... kanang pagbaligya anang boto tungod lang sa kuwarta.” (All Boholanos should be united. Let us fight against illegal drugs. This coming election let us not be deceived. Don’t sell your votes because of money)
Passengers said Villame sang like Yoyoy’s.
"It was such a lovely day to hear him singing. He sounded like Yoyoy Villame. Everyone seemed happy,” said Elvira Romero. The song was also timely and relevant, she added.
Another passenger said she wants to have a singing policeman in the bus. “Feel nako safe ko. Unya ag singer liwat siya ni Yoyoy Villame, mao sila tinguga, mao nga prununciation... nalingaw... gusto unta ko musayaw pero wala ko pasayawa, (I felt safe somehow. And the singer sounded like Yoyoy Villame. The same voice and diction. I was entertained that I wanted to dance but I wasn’t able to dance),” said Florencia Palma.
It was Police Superintendent Dennis Agustin, former director of the Bohol Police Provincial Office, who discovered Villame in one of the events at the Camp Francisco Dagohoy.
“He was the only available. I discovered he was Yoyoy Villame’s grandchild and voice-alike. What a lost opportunity if we would not revived his songs and his legacy. He was a gifted singer, writer, lyricist, poet and artist), said Agustin who wanted to immortalize Yoyoy’s contribution to Filipino music and film.
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The singing policeman Janew Villame meets the multi-awarded and controversial policeman SPO1 Adonis Dumpit at the Bohol Police Provincial Office. Contributed Photo |
He also said that Villame has a talent. “Gusto ko run siya sumikat, malay mo maging artista yan (I want him to be known, who knows he would become an artist),” he added.
Agustin said he tapped Villame to break down barriers between the police and the public, especially in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“Eh part kasi ng police community relations is ma-relax ang mag civilian in the presence of policemen... naalaa mo ba kung ang bata ay makulit e pinagsabihan na ‘ tumigil ka diyan kasi may police.’ Eh, hindi dapat ganun dapat mapalapit ang police sa community..kami ang immediate na kasama na taga- gobyierno na nagrerespundie sa mga problema nila (It’s part of the police community relations to make the civilians feel relaxed in the presence of the policemen. Kids who had tantrums were told to stop because there’s a policemen..which should not be. The police should be closer to the community because we are the immediate companion of the government to respond to the public in times of problem)” he said.
Villame shared that when he was a kid, he wanted to become a singer just like Yoyoy, the younger brother of his grandfather Jesus. It didn’t push trough because he became a policeman.
Villame was married to Venus, 36, with whom he has two kids- Sarah Ella, 10; and Maria Laica, 7. He hoped that through his songs he could help in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“Thru singing..ipaagi nalang sa kanta nato nga makaamgo sila nga daotan diay musud sa illegal nga droga...” (I hope that through my songs people can realize that illegal drug destroys society), he said.
Yoyoy Villame, whose real name was Roman Tesorio Villame, was a native of Calape town in Bohol. He was a bus driver when his boss took notice of his singing talent. His long list of hits and his entertaining style of music had earned him the title of "King of Philippine Novelty Songs.”
Memorize the “Oplan Tokhang” song and you will never get lost in life.
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