Massive PNP revamp affects 22 officials

DAVAO CITY — The Philippine National Police instituted a major revamp affecting 22 top officers, effective Sunday, October 20.

This,  after President Rodrigo Duterte during the October 15 cabinet meeting castigated officials over the alleged  involvement of PNP top brass in the controversial “Nina Cops” issue which figured then PNP Chief Brigadier General Oscar Albayalde.

Reports revealed, Duterte hinted of a major revamp and cleansing at the PNP during the meeting.

The major reshuffling took place after  the National Police Commissioned gave a nod to the request of PNP   officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa.

.As OIC, Gamboa has limited powers over personnel movement, but the Napolcom nod empowered him to make changes.

Gamboa was appointed OIC after the previous PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, stepped down amid allegations that he protected 13 subordinates accused of pilfering 160 kilos of methamphetamine in 2013, a charge that Albayalde denied.

The following officers were uprooted from their posts and given new assignments effective Sunday, October 20.

1. Manila Police District (MPD) chief Brigadier General Vicente Danao is new Calabarzon police chief
2. Former Eastern Police District chief Brigadier General Bernabe Balba is new MPD chief
3. Calabarzon police chief Brigadier General Edward Carranza is new chief of the PNP Logistics Support Service
4. Central Luzon police chief Brigadier General Joel Coronel is new chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)
5. CIDG chief Major General Amador Corpus is new Human Resource and Doctrine Development chief
6. Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group or IMEG chief Colonel Romeo Caramat is new PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) chief
7. Colonel Ronald Lee is new IMEG chief
8. DEG chief Brigadier General Albert Ferro is reassigned to the Bicol Police Regional Office
9. Eastern Visayas police chief Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos is new Highway Patrol Group (HPG) chief
10. HPG chief Eliseo Cruz is reassigned to the CIDG
11. Mimaropa police chief Brigadier General Tomas Apolinario is reassigned to the Directorate for Intelligence
12. Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) chief Brigadier General Filmore Escobal is new Davao Region police chief
13. Bicol police chief Brigadier General Arnel Escobal is new Aviation Security Group chief
14. Major General Mariel Magaway is new chief of the Directorate for Intelligence
15. Brigadier General Anthony Alcañeses is new Bicol police chief
16. Brigadier General Ferdinand Divina is new Eastern Visayas police chief
17. Brigadier General Angelito Casimiro is new Cagayan Valley police chief
18. Brigadier General Leonardo Cesneros is new Central Luzon police chief
19. Brigadier General Nicerio Obaob is new Mimaropa police chief
20. Brigadier General Joselito Daniel is new Police Community Affairs and Development Group chief
21. Brigadier General Marcelo Morales is new PSPG chief
22. Brigadier General Rhodel Sermonia is new deputy director of the Directorate for Police Community Relations

PNP spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac in a statement said, the massive reshuffling was thoroughly discussed and decided by the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board then approved by Gamboa..-jap