THIS week saw some friends taking over as the new Southern and Manila Police District directors as well as Rizal police chief and i would say that they are really up to a very challenging task as they go to work to fight criminality and corruption and ensure a safe and secure Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in their areas this coming October 30.

First is Brigadier General Mark Pespes, a silent and unassuming member of Philippine National Police Academy ‘Tagapaglunsad’ Class of 1993 who on Friday took over as the new SPD director vice Brig. Gen. Ricky Mariano of PNPA ‘Patnubay’ Class of 1995. Mariano was the SPD director for nearly three months.

Before his designation as SPD director, Brig. Gen. Pespes for 13 months was the director of the PNP Headquarters Support Service otherwise known as the Camp Crame commander until he was replaced by Colonel Tony Marallag of PNPA ‘Sandigan’ Class of 1994 last September

Pespes became the PNP Deputy Director for Intelligence for nearly four weeks only before he got transferred to the SPD which has jurisdiction over the cities of Makati, Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Taguig, and Muntinlupa and the municipality of Pateros.

As I have written before, Pespes will be forever known in Philippine history as the man who saved the life of detained former senator Leila de Lima from the hands of a knife-wielding extremist on October 9, 2022.

Brig. Gen. Pespes has been hailed as a ‘hero’ for saving de Lima from an extremist about to kill the former lawmaker and in numerous times has been cited by the PNP leadership for his outstanding work as Camp Crame commander, supervising all efforts by the PNP-HSS to enforce all camp rules and regulations and at the same time beautify the PNP national headquarters.

Still a Police Colonel at that time, Pespes did not hesitate to shoot hostage-taker Feliciano Sulayao, a jailed Dawlah Islamiyah member in the head when he saw the opportunity as the suspect was then already threatening to kill the ex-senator.

“He is the hero because he initiated the negotiation and took advantage of a situation to neutralize the hostage taker,” Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur’Abalos Jr. said.

“Col. Pespes showed decisiveness. He assessed the situation, bought time, and then when the opportunity was presented, he shot the hostage taker and saved Sen. de Lima,” the DILG chief added.

Pespes negotiated with Sulayao for about 15 minutes before he realized the gravity of the situation. “The former senator’s life was already in danger so we need to end the situation,” said the veteran PNP Special Action Force officer.

I really believe that Pespes’ act not only saved the life of de Lima but most importantly, saved the Marcos administration and the PNP leadership then under Gen. Jun Azurin from a major international backlash had something bad really happened to the former lawmaker.

On the other hand, my friend Colonel Tom Ibay has taken over as the new MPD director vice a long-time pal named Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon who is now the new director of the PNP Retirement and Benefits Administration Service. Dizon of PNPA Class 1994 and I address each other as ‘Cuz,’ or short for cousin’ since we have the same APD initials.

A veteran officer of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Manila’s Finest, Ibay of PNPA ‘Kaagapay’ Class of 1996 has vowed to further pursue the gains and other achievements made by Dizon who led the Manila police force to outstanding achievements since December 2023.

My ‘Cousin Dizon’ replaced another friend, Brig. Gen. Niño David Rabaya of PNPA ‘Tagpaglunsad’ Class of 1993 who has been designated by Gen. Acorda as the new PNP Deputy Director for Comptrollership.

Col. Ibay, the erstwhile Senior Executive Assistant of Gen. Acorda will get his star-rank with his new position after his promotion to Police Brigadier General as SEA to the top cop, along with dozens of other police star-rank officers, was delayed due to matters raised by the National Police Commission.

Last Wednesday, he was installed as new MPD director by NCRPO chief, Brig. Gen. Tateng Nartatez in the presence of Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan. Brig. Gen. Nartatez said that the MPD command changed hands from an excellent officer to another equally deserving of the position as he acknowledged the achievements of the MPD under the helm of Brig. Gen. Dizon which he said embodied the definition of “Manilas Finest”.

Col. Ibay is no stranger to the MPD since he used to be a member of its Command Group during the term of former MPD director, Brig. Gen. Leo Francisco, a classmate of Nartatez from PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 who is now the PNP Director for Operations.

Ibay is known to have supervised a number of successful anti-criminality programs by the CIDG-NCRFU in Manila and the rest of the National Capital Region. Now, the classmate of PNP spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo is returning to the MPD with a big promise to his men and the public.

I would also like to congratulate another friend, a former aide-de-camp of my Ninong, former PNP chief Sonny Razon. I’m referring to Col. Philip Maraggun, one of the few PNP officers who became products of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .

On Saturday last week, Maraggun of PNPA ‘Buklod-Diwa’ Class of 2001 took over as the new Rizal Police Provincial Office director vice Col. Rainier De Chavez of PNPA ‘Magilas’ Class of 2000.

Police Regional Office 4-A director, Brig. Gen. Kenneth Lucas installed Maraggun to his new post in the presence of Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares-Chiongbian. The ‘Mamang Pulis’ advocate vowed to further improve police presence in the streets of the province and go all-out against criminality and rogues in uniform thru back to the basics kind of policing and the institutionalization of Managing Patrol Operations.

Last but not the least, I offer my congratulations to Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Pawid of PNPA Class 1994 who has assumed as the new Police Regional Office 8 director in Eastern Visayas vice Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga of PNPA ‘Tagapagkalinga’ Class of 1991.

A director of the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office for more than two years, Calanoga held the top PRO8 director more than five months before being replaced by Pawid who happened to be the erstwhile Senior Police Assistant to Sec. Abalos.