New Central Luzon cop chief named

Three generals of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been reshuffled, including Chief Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, director of the Intelligence Group who was named the new police director of Central Luzon (Region 3).

Rafanan replaced Chief Superintendent Alejandro Lapinid, who is now the head of the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development (DHRDD).

The former DHRDD director, Chief Superintendent Joey Salvacion, in turn, has been assigned to the office of PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao.

Lomibao tapped Senior Superintendent Romeo Ricardo to replace Rafanan as IG officer-in-charge. Ricardo used to be Rafanan’s deputy.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao, PNP spokesman, said during the weekly Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis at Camp Crame that Lomibao effected the reshuffle effective yesterday upon the recommendations of the Senior Officer Placement and Promotions Board.

Sources said the reshuffle should have been implemented several months ago but was put on hold due to political accommodation.

"It is a good thing that deserving officers were finally appointed to the right positions," a police officer said.

"We expect these officers to perform in their new positions," he said.

Rafanan, who served as IG chief for over two years, was behind successes in the government’s anti-terrorism campaign.

During Rafanan’s stint in the IG, the government chronicled the activities of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist group based in Indonesia.

During the turnover ceremony at Camp Olivas in Pampanga yesterday, Rafanan vowed to beef up the intelligence and investigative skills of the Central Luzon police with the help of new technologies. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ric Sapnu