TWO classmates of Philippine National Police chief, General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. from Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 on Wednesday took their oath of office as new official members of his Command Group.

Lieutenant Gen. Michael John F. Dubria returned as PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, the 3rd-highest position in the 227,000-strong force while Major Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta assumed his new post as the PNP Chief of Directorial Staff or PNP-TCDS, the 4th highest position in the PNP.

Lt. Gen. Rhodel O. Sermonia of PMA ‘Makatao’ Class of 1989 retained his post as PNP Deputy Chief for Administration under the leadership of Gen. Acorda.

On the other hand, former Police Regional Office 6 director in Western Visayas, Brigadier Gen. Leo M. Francisco of PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 replaced Maj. Gen. Peralta as PNP Director for Operations, a position which will earn the latter his 2nd-star.

Francisco’s mistah, erstwhile PNP-DCO, Maj. Gen. Jonnel B. Estomo on the other hand assumed his new post as PNP Director for Plans vice another PMA Class 1992 member, Maj. Gen. Bernard M. Banac who is now the new PNP Director for Information Communications and Technology Management.

Maj. Gen. Estomo, a major contender for the top PNP post vacated by now retired Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. was gracious and gentleman enough to accept his new position. He thanked Gen. Acorda for being given the opportunity to lead a key PNP office and vowed to equal if not surpass the accomplishments made by Maj. Gen. Banac.

There is still no official word on who will replace Brig. Gen. Francisco at the PRO6.

Maj. Gen. Peralta will be the alter ego of Gen. Acorda in coordinating all PNP plans, activities and operations specifically those involving the different PNP Directorial Staff.

The new PNP-TCDS said he expect all members of the PNP Directorial Staff and other directors to lead by example , uphold the highest standards of professionalism as public servants and demonstrate a strong commitment to service.

Gen. Peralta reiterated his call for “Serbisyong Nagkakaisa” and the PNP’s Five-Focused Agendas, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts and community engagement in establishing a formidable police presence in his speech during the turnover of office ceremonies.

“This is an opportune time to reiterate my call to all the members of the PNP: Serbisyong Nagkakaisa. By working together and harnessing the power of collaborative efforts, we can establish a formidable police presence and foster genuine engagement with our communities,” Gen. Acorda said.

“The challenges we face as an institution may be multifaceted, but I have no doubt that together, we can overcome them. By working together, we can indeed make a difference in the lives of our fellow Filipinos and make our communities safer and more secure,” the PNP chief added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon