NINE senior Philippine National Police (PNP) officials on Friday assumed their new positions during simple rites at Camp Crame presided by PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, Lieutenant General Jose Chiquito M. Malayo.

Installed to their new posts were Major General Felipe R. Natividad, now the new Area Police Command-Northern Luzon commander; Maj. Gen. Patrick T. Villacorte, the new APC-Eastern Mindanao commander; Brig. Gen. Jon A. Arnaldo, the new PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development; Maj. Gen. Alessandro C. Abella, the new PNP Director for Research and Development.

Brig. Gen. Mario A. Reyes, the new PNP Director for Police-Community Relations; Maj. Gen. Valeriano T. de Leon, the new PNP Director for Information Communications and Technology Management.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta, the new PNP Director for Operations; Maj. Gen. Michael John F. Dubria, the new PNP Civil Security Group director; and Brig. Gen. Benjamin T. Acorda Jr., the new PNP Director for Intelligence.

The nine were among the more than 70 senior officials designated to new positions of key responsibility by PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. last Monday.

Azurin named his classmate from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Makatao” Class of 1989, Lt. Gen. Malayo, as the new PNP Deputy Chief for Administration, the 2nd highest post in the force. He also designated Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Santos Jr. of PMA “Sambisig” Class of 1991 and Maj. Gen. Arthur V. Bisnar of PMA “Bigkis Lahi” Class of 1990 as the new PNP Deputy Chief for Operations and PNP The Chief Directorial Staff, respectively.

Natividad, another member of PMA Class 1990, will be replaced as National Capital Region Police Office director by Brig. Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo of PMA “Tanglaw-Diwa” Class of 1992.

On the other hand, Villacorte, also of PMA Class of 1991, was replaced as PNP Special Action Force director by Brig. Gen. Edgar Alan O. Okubo of PNP Academy Class 1992.

Arnaldo took over as the new PNP-DHRDD vice Maj. Gen. Bisnar. Arnaldo’s used to be the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the National Police Training Institute, whose new director is Maj. Gen. Domingo R. Lucas of PNPA Class 1988.

Brig. Gen. Reyes of PMA Class 1992 replaced Maj. Gen. Walter E. Castillejos of PNPA Class 1988 who will be retiring at the age of 56 on Sunday. Reyes, the erstwhile Police Regional Office 5 director in Bicol region was replaced by Brig. Gen. Rudolph B. Dimas of PNPA Class 1992 who used to be the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group director.

Peralta of PMA Class 1991 and de Leon of PMA Class 1989 swapped posts as PNP-DO and PNP-DICTM directors, respectively.

Maj. Gen. Dubria of PMA Class 1991 took over as the new PNP-CSG director, vice Maj. Gen. Jesus D. Cambay Jr., also of PMA Class 1989, is now the new PNP Director for Comptrollership.

Acorda of PMA Class 1991 replaced Dubria as the new PNP Director for Intelligence. The erstwhile PRO10 director in Northern Mindanao, Acorda, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Lawrence B. Coop of PNPA Class 1991.

Brig. Gen. Dimas will be replaced as PNP-AKG director by Colonel Rodolfo D. Castil Jr. of PNPA Class 1993.

Journal Group sources said that Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III, a member of PNPA Class 1993 who was previously designated as PNPA Commandant, will now be the new Quezon City Police District director.

Col. Jaysen C. de Guzman of PNPA Class 1995 will be the new PNPA Commandant, a position that will earn him his star-rank.