MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — The 27 new lieutenants in the Bangsamoro regional police will be sent to local communities to help secure the peace process in that part of Mindanao.
The newly commissioned officers, who started as beat cops and got promoted to the rank of lieutenant via a lateral entry program of the Philippine National Police, were sworn in Monday by Police Brig. Gen. Graciano Mijares, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The PNP officially shifted this week to a new rank system similar to that of the military.
Mijares said Thursday all 27 of them will perform peacekeeping missions in support of the Mindanao peace process of President Rodrigo Duterte and Moro Islamic Liberation Front, officials of which form the bulk of the new region's interim government.
Hundreds of PRO-BARMM personnel, among them commissioned officers, were also promoted to a rank higher during the oath-taking ceremony on Monday in Camp Salipada Pendatun in Parang town in Maguindanao that Mijares presided over..
In a message, Mijares called on his newly promoted subordinates and those whose oaths as commissioned officers he administered Monday to continue supporting the Mindanao peace process of President Rodrigo Duterte.