CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Brigadier General Robert Alexander Morico II who made history this week as the first product of the Philippine National Police Academy to head the very sensitive post of PNP Director for Intelligence.

Also the youngest member of PNPA ‘Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992 who will be retiring from the police force on January 22, 2027, I have known ‘Morics’ way back in the 90s when he was still assigned with the PNP Highway Patrol Group.

A no-nonsense officer, Morico became a top intelligence officer who rose to become a deputy director of the PNP Intelligence Group before becoming the Executive Officer of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence which earned him his star-rank.

His designation as the new PNP Director for Intelligence will give him his 2nd-star and earn him a place in history. Usually reserved for graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, the PNP Director for Intelligence manages the gathering and collation of all intelligence and counter-intelligence activities of the 228,000-strong police force.

The PNP Director for Intelligence is a top-level PNP position which requires the security clearance of all the President’s men starting from the heads of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the National Security Agency down to the chiefs of the PNP, the Armed Forces and the Presidential Palace. In short, it is a position which requires the complete trust and confidence of the Commander-in-Chief.

Two PNP Directors for Intelligence who have become PNP Chiefs are my ‘Ninong’ Art Lomibao of PMA ‘Masigasig’ Class of 1972 and my friend, incumbent PNP chief, Gen. Benjie Acorda. The PNP Director for Intelligence also serves as the ‘alter ego’ of the PNP chief when it comes to his official dealings with their counterparts from the foreign community.

With his new position, Morico would become the latest member of PNPA Class 1992 to get a 2nd-star apart from being one of the top quad staff of the force. I have talked with a number of Peemayers and all have told me that Morico really deserve his new post.

Before him were Major Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo of the PNP Directorate for Police-Community Relationship and Maj. Gen. Rod Dimas of the PNP Special Action Force. At present, Okubo and Morico are the only PNPA products commanding key PNP directorial staff positions.

I would also like to congratulate the other officials who on Thursday were given new posts by Gen. Acorda following the retirement of another friend, Area Police Command-Northern Luzon director, Lieutenant General Felipe ‘Pipoy’ Natividad.

Lt. Gen. Natividad, a member of PMA ‘Bigkis-Lahi’ Class of 1990 retired on Wednesday at the age of 56 after more than 37 years of sterling service in the police and military service. He used to be a Police Regional Office 4-A director in Calabarzon region who became a commander of the elite PNP Special Action Force and later the National Capital Region Police Office chief in Metro Manila during the late years of the former Duterte administration.

The last time I saw Lt. Gen. Natividad was during the blessing of a new police building in Tabuk City in Kalinga province where I was invited by then PNP chief, now retired Gen. Jun Azurin to join his party.

My good old friend Pipoy Natividad joined our lunch and shared some interesting anecdotes and jokes which made our day. How time really flies fast. It was already five months ago when I last saw him.

The new PNP reorganization saw erstwhile PNP Director for Intelligence, Major Gen. Jon Arnaldo, a classmate of Gen. Acorda from PMA ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 being designated as the new APC-Northern Luzon commander vice Natividad.

Maj. Gen. Arnaldo, my former neighbor in Antipolo City is set to get his 3rd-star as APC-NL director as he will be retiring from the force on October 3 next year.

Another classmate of Morico from PNPA Class 1992, Brig. Gen. Ross Alvarado. on the other hand was installed as the new PNP Finance Service director following the designation of Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding of PNPA ‘Sandigan’ Class of 1994 as the new Police Regional Office 9 director in Western Mindanao.

Erstwhile PRO9 director, Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsañgan, another PMA Class 1991 member was designated as the new PNP Director for Plans. Alinsañgan, retiring from the police force on September 5, 2025 will also get his 2nd-star with his new position.

Also named to their new posts effective Thursday were Brig. Gen. Chito Bersaluna who was transferred from the APC-Western Mindanao to the PNP Directorate for Operations; Colonel Danilo Bacas from APC-WM to the PNP Directorate for Information Communications and Technology Management; Col. Jerico Baldeo from the PNP-DICTM to the Office of the Chief,PNP; Col. Gideon Dy from the OCPNP to the APC-WM; Col. Cesar Magsino from the Police Security and Protection Group to the OCPNP; and Col. Santiago Pascual III from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to the PSPG.

Baldeo was named as the new acting chief of the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office while Col. Dy is the new acting Executive Officer of the APC-WM. Both will get their star-rank with their new positions. Bersaluna was installed as the new acting PNP Deputy Director for Operations following the retirement last week of Brig. Gen. Andrew Cayad, another member of PNPA Class 1994.