Massive reshuffling shakes PNP after Albayalde controversy

COMMAND CONFERENCE. Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa leads a meeting of the Philippine National Police's top officials on October 15, 2019, after General Oscar Albayalde resigned. Photo from PNP

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Top officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were uprooted from their posts and given new assignments days after top cop General Oscar Albayalde resigned from his post over the "ninja cops" controversy, Rappler learned on Sunday, October 20.

Police sources told Rappler that the reshuffling was prompted by a scolding from President Rodrigo Duterte to the PNP's top brass during a command conference last Tuesday, October 15, over mounting allegations against Albayalde – an appointee outside Duterte's inner Davao City circle whose career ended in disappointment.

According to reassignment orders obtained by Rappler, the following police officials were reassigned to new posts effective Sunday:

1. Manila Police District (MPD) chief Brigadier General Vicente Danao is new Calabarzon police chief
2. Former Eastern Police District chief Brigadier General Bernabe Balba is new MPD chief
3. Calabarzon police chief Brigadier General Edward Carranza is new chief of the PNP Logistics Support Service
4. Central Luzon police chief Brigadier General Joel Coronel is new chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)
5. CIDG chief Major General Amador Corpus is new Human Resource and Doctrine Development chief
6. Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group or IMEG chief Colonel Romeo Caramat is new PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) chief
7. Colonel Ronald Lee is new IMEG chief
8. DEG chief Brigadier General Albert Ferro is reassigned to the Bicol Police Regional Office as deputy chief for administration
9. Eastern Visayas police chief Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos is new Highway Patrol Group (HPG) chief
10. HPG chief Eliseo Cruz is reassigned to the CIDG as deputy chief
11. Mimaropa police chief Brigadier General Tomas Apolinario is reassigned to the Directorate for Intelligence as deputy chief
12. Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) chief Brigadier General Filmore Escobal is new Davao Region police chief
13. Bicol police chief Brigadier General Arnel Escobal is new Aviation Security Group chief
14. Major General Mariel Magaway is new chief of the Directorate for Intelligence
15. Brigadier General Anthony Alcañeses is new Bicol police chief
16. Brigadier General Ferdinand Divina is new Eastern Visayas police chief
17. Brigadier General Angelito Casimiro is new Cagayan Valley police chief
18. Brigadier General Leonardo Cesneros is new Central Luzon police chief
19. Brigadier General Nicerio Obaob is new Mimaropa police chief
20. Brigadier General Joselito Daniel is new Police Community Affairs and Development Group chief
21. Brigadier General Marcelo Morales is new PSPG chief
22. Brigadier General Rhodel Sermonia is new deputy director of the Directorate for Police Community Relations

In total, there are 20 generals and 2 colonels reassigned, but more reassignments are expected as the PNP continues its bid to regain public trust.

This level of reshuffling is unprecedented in the Duterte administration, considering even the allegations of human rights violations in the anti-drug campaign. The massive movement of officials shows the level of impact the "ninja cops" controversy has had on the PNP.

In a statement confirming the reassignments, PNP spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac said the movements were decided by the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board then approved by officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa. – Rappler.com