Robert Zabala Barbers was a Filipino police officer and politician.
33 Facts About Robert Barbers
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Robert Barbers served in the legislature as the representative of the second district of Surigao del Norte, whose second term was ended by his appointment as secretary of the interior and local government, and as senator.
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Robert Barbers was born in the then-municipality of Surigao in the undivided Surigao province, on January 19,1944, to Felix Robert Barbers of Ilocos, a judge, and Regina Zabala of Surigao, who would serve as division superintendent of schools and vice governor of Surigao del Norte.
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Robert Barbers finished elementary and secondary education in his hometown.
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Robert Barbers later went on to earn Master of Science degrees in criminology and in national security administration in 1992 and 1994, respectively.
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Robert Barbers spent 27 years as a police officer in the city.
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Robert Barbers started in 1960s as a patrolman, and later rose through the ranks, eventually becoming colonel before quitting the police force in 1991 to run for Congress.
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Robert Barbers served as chief of the Ermita station and, under the leadership of Alfredo Lim in the WPD, of two WPD divisions handling high-profile crimes.
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When Lim became the director of the National Bureau of Investigation in 1990, he took Robert Barbers and designated him as chief of the NBI Police Special Task Force.
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Robert Barbers was the inspector of the National Police Commission.
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Robert Barbers was noted for the solution of major crimes and the personal arrest of some of the known gang leaders, particularly when he was with the NBI with his team being known with the arrest of several drug traffickers, including Jose "Don Pepe" Oyson who was later killed by agents while being escorted to detention.
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Robert Barbers was credited with the arrest of then military rebel Billy Bibit and communist leader Ignacio Capegsan, for which he was promoted.
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Robert Barbers was a bemedaled officer, receiving medals and citations from the United States, such as those from the State Department and the Golden Service Award for Outstanding Law Enforcer in Asia from New York City.
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Robert Barbers entered politics in 1992 as representative of the second district of Surigao del Norte; he was re-elected in 1995.
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Robert Barbers was the chairperson of the House committee on Effective Law Enforcement, as well as vice chairperson of the committee on Public Order and Security.
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Robert Barbers was noted being the supervisor of the PNP, which created the Public Assistance and Reaction Against Crime, a 24-hour public assistance group.
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Robert Barbers first ran for senator in 1998, where he placed fifth, becoming the first police officer to hold such electoral position.
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Robert Barbers served a term, in the 11th and 12th Congresses.
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In 1999, Robert Barbers pushed for the creation of the committee on public order and illegal drugs, which he eventually headed.
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Robert Barbers was a chairperson of the Commission on Appointments subcommittee on local governments.
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Robert Barbers was noted still being active in law enforcement in his term; he authored over a hundred bills mainly focusing on the fight against criminality.
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Robert Barbers was the first to file an anti-terrorism bill in the Senate, in late 2001.
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Robert Barbers was the principal author of a bill that aimed to strengthen the campaign against drug trafficking, which later became Republic Act No 9165, the law repealing RA No 6425 and creating the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to be a member of and the implementing arm of the Dangerous Drugs Board.
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Robert Barbers authored as well laws that giving more penalties against jueteng protectors and operators.
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Robert Barbers was an advocate of death penalty for heinous crimes.
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Robert Barbers was later convinced to give way to Arroyo and to then senator Noli de Castro, respectively.
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In 2004, Robert Barbers ran for re-election under the ruling party, but lost in the twelfth spot to incumbent Rodolfo Biazon.
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Robert Barbers later filed an election protest against Biazon to contest the slot, accusing the Commission on Elections of hastily proclaiming the latter's victory and demanding the awaiting of the results in his strongholds in Mindanao.
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Robert Barbers's name was mentioned in the controversial "Hello Garci" tapes, whose transcripts showed him calling then election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to ensure his victory.
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Bobby, as Robert Barbers was known to many, was married to Virginia Smith.
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Robert Barbers, a Roman Catholic, was a pious devotee of the Santo Nino of Prague.
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Robert Barbers, who had suffered throat cancer, flew to the United States and underwent surgery in November 2000, missing the impeachment trial of then president Estrada in the Senate.
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In July 2005, Robert Barbers left for the same country for a medical checkup.