NPD gets new top cop

Metro police chief Director Jefferson Soriano announced yesterday the designation of Chief Superintendent Eric Javier as the new director of the Northern Police District (NPD).

Soriano said Javier replaced Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango, who was promoted yesterday to head the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO11) in Davao.

Tango took over command of the PRO11, which was formerly held by Chief Superintendent Andy Caro, who was also promoted as head of the Police Integrated Office (PIO) in Mindanao.

Prior to his appointment at the NPD, Javier – a West Point graduate – was the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) deputy regional director for administration in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City. Soriano will preside over a simple turnover ceremony at the NPD headquarters in Caloocan City this morning.

Aside from Tango, another district director of the NCRPO scheduled to be promoted is Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz, who will take over the PRO3 in Central Luzon on Tuesday.

De la Cruz will replace Chief Superintendent Errol Pan, who decided to vacate his post several days before his retirement on Nov. 23.

Soriano said the EPD post is a toss-up between De la Cruz’s deputy, Senior Superintendent Artemio Hicban, or Chief Superintendent Jack Cataluna, head of the Police Security and Protection Group in Camp Crame.

Javier is a member of the West Point Class ’77, while Cataluna, Caro, and Tango belong to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class ’77.

De la Cruz and Hicban are members of the PMA Class ’78, of which President Arroyo is a honorary member.      – Non Alquitran, Pete Laude