General Marbil slowly forming new team
SLOWLY but surely, PNP chief General Rommel Marbil is forming a formidable team he needs to win his mission to bring better service to the Filipino people in general and the police force in particular and fight fake news which really discredit the PNP leadership at the same time.
At present, there are only six members of Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 in the police force led by Gen. Marbil. The others are PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Lieutenant Gen. Emmanuel Peralta; PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Mike Dubria; PNP The Chief Directorial Staff Lt. Gen. Jon Arnaldo; Area Police Command-Visayas commander Major Gen. Robert Rodriguez; and PNP Comptroller Maj. Gen. Neil Alinsangan.
On Monday, the top cop who has been in his position for only 37 days since last April 1 named Brigadier Gen. Patrick Obinque of PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 as the new PNP Director for Intelligence, a position which need the high approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his top security officials.
A former Bicol police director, Obinque actually ‘swapped post’ with erstwhile PNP-DI, Major Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II, a product of PNP Academy ‘Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992 who is now the new PNP Director for Research and Development. Morico has been the top PNP spook since August 24, 2023.
Another PNPA Class 1992 member, Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo was also named by Gen. Marbil as the new PNP Civil Security Group director, the position left vacant with the designation of Maj. Gen. Alinsangan as PNP Comptroller three weeks ago.
Okubo, a former Metro Manila and PNP Special Action Force director and Morico are the two youngest PNPA Class 1992 members. Okubo will retire on May 2026 while Morico will be bowing out from the police force on January 2027. They actually will have the chance to get a year-long extension once Congress finally approves a bill that will make PNP retirement age at 57.
There is still no word on who will replace Okubo as PNP Director for Police-Community Relations although the official must really be an expert in the field of police-community and media relations and must be adeft with modern technology to help the top cop in his vision to really give a lending hand to members of the police force and their families, especially those who are sick and really needs assistance.
Another PNPA Class 1992 member, Brig. Gen. Romaldo Bayting on the other hand was relieved as PNP Maritime Group director and named as the new deputy commander of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao.
On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Romaldo G. Bayting, another PNPA Class 1992 member, was relieved as PNP Maritime Group director and named as the new deputy commander of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao.
Retiring on December 2025, Bayting replaced Maj. Gen. Victor Wanchakan of PNPA ‘Tagapagkalinga’ Class of 1991 who retired from the police force last April 26. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Cabal of PNPA ‘Sandigan’ Class of 1994 replaced Bayting who commanded the PNP-MG since January 6, 2023. Cabal used to be the PNPA deputy director.
Gen. Marbil also named Brig. Gen. Ely Matta of PNPA ‘Patnubay’ Class of 1995 as the new PNP Drug Enforcement Group director vice his PNPA classmate, Brig. Gen. Dionisio Bartolome Jr. who headed the PDEG since July 14, 2023.
To his credit, Brig. Gen. Bartolome who has been reassigned to the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management Personnel Holding and Administrative Unit managed to really put discipline in the PDEG while scoring major accomplishments. Not bad for a unit which came under fire after some of its officers and men were linked to the controversial 990 kilo shabu haul in Sta. Cruz, Manila in 2022.
Last week, the top cop also installed Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco as the new PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director vice Maj. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. who was named as the new APC-Northern Luzon commander. Both Francisco and Caramat are also PMA Class 1992 members.
Gen. Marbil, who is expected to move more men in the days to come, expressed full confidence that the newly-designated officials will exert their best effort to serve the public and protect the interest of their men. My congratulations to these officials, many of them my good friends.
