Quezon City has new top cop

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Elmo San Diego was replaced by Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele in a turnover ceremony at Camp Karingal yesterday, 10 days before San Diego was officially due to retire.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Metro Manila police chief Director Roberto Rosales graced the occasion.

San Diego, who was the “baron” of Philippine National Police Academy Class 1981, is set to retire after 31 years of service when he turns 56, the mandatory retirement age, on May 11.

San Diego is a son of Ernesto San Diego and a nephew of Romeo San Diego, who also were former Quezon City police chiefs.

San Diego served as Manila Police District chief before he was assigned to the QCPD. Under his watch, the QCPD was named the country’s best police district four consecutiuve times.

His successor, Mantele, who was Eastern Police District chief before replacing San Diego, is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class 1980.

For Mantele, his new assignment is a homecoming of sorts, having previously served QCPD as station commander and district intelligence chief.