I’M referring to the newly-installed police commanders who must all be ready to face the challenges expected to confront them as they carry out the high-pressure job given to them by PNP chief, General Benjie Acorda.

The top cop has already reorganized the police leadership thrice since last June and is expected to do more changes in the coming weeks with the retirement of a number of senior police generals which will automatically trigger a ‘domino effect’ in the force.

Last Monday, Gen. Acorda ordered a 2nd reshuffle of key PNP units this month which affected 11 senior officials composed of five 1-star generals and six full-fledged colonels. Those named to their new posts include Brigadier Gen. Rizalito Gapas, the erstwhile PNP Special Action Force deputy director who is now the new Northern Police District director vice Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr., his classmate from PNPA Class 1995 who was transferred to the PNP Directorate for Plans.

Erstwhile Southern Police District director, Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft of PNPA Class 1994 is now the new Police Regional Office 13 director in Caraga region vice Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II of PNPA Class 1992 who was temporarily reassigned to the DPRM Personnel Holding and Administrative Unit.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Ricky Mariano, the erstwhile PRO13 deputy regional director for administration was named as the new SPD director vice Kraft. Mariano, also of PNPA Class 1995, used to work with NICA director general, retired Gen. Dick de Leon.

Colonel Frankie Candelario was transferred to the PNP-DPL from the PRO10 in Northern Mindanao; Col. Jason Capoy from the Police Security and Protection Group to the PNP Academy; and Col. Jun Mark Lagare from the PNP Intelligence Group to the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; Col. Cesenciano Landicho was moved from PHAU, DPRM to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management; Col. Rex Arvin Malimban from the PNPA to the PNP-SAF; and Col. Eleazar Matta, from the PNP Information Technology Management Service to the PRO13 as its new DRDA.

Last week, Gen. Acorda also ordered a minor reshuffle of key PNP positions following the retirement of two members of PNPA Class 1993 who used to hold sensitive posts in the police force.

Named as new PNP Human Rights Affairs director vice newly-retired Brig. Gen. Limuel Obon was erstwhile PNP Drug Enforcement Group director, Brig. Gen. Faro Antonio Olaguera, a lawyer from PNPA Class 1989.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky of PNPA Class 1992, the erstwhile National Capital Region Police Office Deputy Regional Director for Administration replaced newly-retired PNP Aviation Security Group director, Brig. Gen. Jerry Bearis.

Brig. Gen. Olaguera was replaced as director of the PDEG by Colonel Dionisio Bartolome of PNPA Class 1995, a no-nonsense officer who is a veteran of the war on drugs as he used to be an intelligence chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Bartolome worked for the PDEA for seven years in the early 2000 or during the agency’s transition period.

Brig. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico of PNPA Class 1992 is now the new PNP Deputy Director for Intelligence while Brig. Gen. Neri Ignacio of PNPA Class 1994 was named as new acting deputy director of the PNP Directorate for Logistics.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Cosme Abrenica, commissioned as a police officer in 1991 became the new PNP Deputy Director for Investigation and Detective Management. Morico, Ignacio and Abrenica were the erstwhile executive officers of the PNP-DI, PNP-DL and PNP-DIDM respectively.

Brig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, the erstwhile PNP Deputy Director for Logistics from PMA Class 1990 was posted as acting deputy director of the PNP Directorate for Research and Development while Col. Noel Sandoval was named as the new executive officer of the PNP-DIDM, a position that will earn him his star-rank. Col. Sandoval is a known ‘home-grown’ officer of the PNP-DIDM from PMA Class 1994.

Another member of PNPA Class 1995, Col. Nestor Babagay, the former deputy director of the PNP Intelligence Group, was also designated as the Executive Officer of the PNP-DI. Babagay will also earn his star-rank with his new position.

As everybody knows, the first set of officers named by Gen. Acorda in his first ‘major reshuffle’ order have already assumed their respective posts after 10 days of waiting for an official recommendation from the Napolcom chaired by DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos.

Gen. Acorda told me it was not a reshuffle’ but just a filling-up of vacancies which had a ripple effect.’ However, what is clear here is that the movement–either it’is a filling-up of vacancies, a revamp, a reorganization or a reshuffle—ordered by the top cop was fully supported by the Malacañang Palace.

After all, the eight officials recommended by Gen. Acorda to take over their new posts were not changed or replaced in the last minute as a result of the Napolcom deliberation on the matter ordered by Sec. Abalos.

The eight led by incoming Major Gen. Tateng Nartatez of the NCRPO have taken over their new posts and are ready to face the challenges ahead. Nartatez is now seeing to it that all Metro Manila police preparations to ensure a safe and secured second SONA of PBBM will succeed.

As a result of Napolcom approval of Gen. Acorda’s order, Brig. Gen. Nartatez took over as the new NCRPO chief Major Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo. Nartatez, a member of PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 will be the last Peemayer to retire from the PNP on March 19, 2027.

As new PNP Director for Police-Community Relations, Maj. Gen. Okubo of PNP Academy Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992 is now fully supervising the Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay or R-PSB program of the PNP which aims to regain the full trust and confidence of the community to the police force and, most importantly, defeat the decades-long communist insurgency in the countryside.

Okubo replaced Maj. Gen. Mario Reyes who was named as the new PNP Director for Logistics while Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee, the former PNP Deputy Director for Intelligence is now the new PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development.

Lee took over Major Gen. Jon Arnaldo who replaced Nartatez as PNP Director for Intelligence. Maj. Gen. Eric Noble , the erstwhile PNP Academy director. was designated as the new PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management. Noble was replaced as PNPA director by Brig. Gen. Samuel Nacion.

Brig. Gen. Alan Nazarro , the erstwhile Deputy Director of the PNP Directorate for Information Communications and Technology Management, is now the new PNP Highway Patrol Group director vice his classmate from PNPA ‘Tagapagkalinga’ Class of 1991, Brig. Gen. Raul Bargamento who has already retired from the police force.

Nazarro has many things to do to help the PNP-HPG get back on its track as a major PNP unit which is known for its major accomplishments before. For one, there’s a need for the PNP to really have a regular presence—not for mere show or compliance– in the Marilaque Highway in Rizal which has gained notoriety for the presence of motorcycle riders who perform death-defying stunts to the consternation of other motorists.

Reyes, Lee and Noble are all classmates of Nartatez from PMA Class 1992 while Arnaldo is a classmate from PMA Class 1991 of Gen. Acorda. Nacion. The former PNP-DIDM deputy director is a classmate from PNPA Class 1992 of Maj. Gen. Okubo.

The PNP chief has cited Section 26 of Republic Act 6975 in reorganizing the police force. Section 26 of RA 6975 which established the PNP under the reorganized DILG. Section 26 of RA 6975 says that the PNP chief shall have “command and direction of the PNP; the power to direct and control tactical as well as strategic movements, deployment, placement, utilization of the PNP or any of its units and personnel, including its equipment, facilities and other resources.”

Prior to that, Sec. Abalos, also a lawyer, had explained that Sec. 6 (3) (f) of Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 2019-001 provides that the “the assignment/designation of the [concerned positions] shall be submitted to the Commission for confirmation prior to the submission of the same to the President for approval.”