Varilla assumes command of NCRPO

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will have a new commander today in the person of Director Reynaldo Varilla.

Varilla replaces Director Vidal Querol, who retired from the police service yesterday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon would be presiding over the change of command ceremony at 9:30 a.m. today at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Varilla, head of the PNP’s Directorate for Intelligence (DI), was selected from a list of five police officials.

Querol described Varilla, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class ’74, as an able replacement.

The retired Metro police chief said he wants Varilla to continue implementing his pet project "Nightwatch," which has been credited for significantly reducing crime incidents in Metro Manila at night.

Varilla was formerly the director of the Northern Police District and the Police Regional Office 4-A in the Calabarzon area.

Varilla is expected to pursue with vigor Calderon’s intensified campaign against "kotong" and scalawag cops.

He is identified with the "Batangas" bloc in Malacañang, which includes Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and former PNP chief and now Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

After a series of farewell calls, Querol spent the entire day yesterday with his family.

The Querol family attended Mass at the EDSA Shrine, where the outgoing NCRPO director thanked God for giving him "a wonderful career with an excellent closing chapter."

After the Mass, the family had a quiet dinner.

No less than President Arroyo greeted Querol on his birthday yesterday and congratulated him for a "brilliant" career.

Querol was credited for the peaceful and orderly holding of President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address. — Non Alquitran