Azurin reshuffles 71 PNP officials

MANILA, Philippines — Barely a week as the country’s top cop, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has imposed a massive reshuffle affecting at least 71 senior police officers, including those in the PNP Command Group.

Among those affected is Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, who was removed from his post as PNP deputy chief for administration, or the Number 2 man in the police force, and reassigned as director of the Area Police Command-Visayas.

Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., who served as PNP office-in-charge for three months, was removed as deputy chief for operations and transferred to the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao.

Sermonia and Danao were replaced by Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr.

Maj. Gen. Arthur Bisnar, meanwhile, replaced Malayo as the PNP chief of the directorial staff, the fourth highest post in the PNP.

Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon was transferred from the Directorate for Operations to the Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management. He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta.

PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba said the reorganization aims to provide opportunities and career growth among police officers.

New MM chief

Metro Manila also has a new police chief in the person of Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, the former director of the Anti-Kidnapping Group and Bicol police, who was appointed as head of the National Capital Region Police Office.

He replaces Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad, who was designated as commander of the Area Police Command-Northern Luzon.

Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, the former chief of the Ilocos police, was designated as director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, replacing Maj. Gen. Eliseo Cruz, who was appointed as head of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.

Brig. Gen. Benard Banac, former Eastern Visayas police director and PNP spokesman, was reassigned to the Directorate for Plans. Replacing him is Brig. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the former director of the Highway Patrol Group.

Quezon City has a new police director in the person of Col. Jaysen de Guzman. He replaces Brig. Gen. Remus Medina, who was transferred to the police holding and admin unit of the Directorate for Plans and Records Management.

Another official with a new post is Col. Kirby John Kraft, who was designated as director of the Southern Police District.