As this developed, the acting PNP chief implemented a massive revamp of the police organization in a move to strengthen operations and administrative functions.
Executive Secretary Renato de Villa said an investigation by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina found that "there is no firm basis for any criminal or administrative charges" to be filed against Mendoza.
"We did not find any evidence, there was none to present," De Villa said, adding that Lina had given Pre-sident Arroyo a copy of the report.
Private anti-crime groups had assailed the appointment of Mendoza, saying he protected criminals in high-profile cases. The President ordered Lina to look into the complaints, saying she would decide whether to retain Mendoza on the basis of Lina’s findings.
De Villa said the anti-crime groups had failed to substantiate their accusations against the PNP chief.
"Secretary Lina said there is no basis for any criminal or administrative case that can be filed against General Mendoza," he said.
Crusade Against Violence (CAV) chairpwoman Karina Agarao and Citizens Against Crime and Corruption (CACC) leader Teresita Ang-See had accused Mendoza of having links to crime syndicates.
Agarao claimed Mendoza coddled the man responsible for the 1995 murder of her lawyer-husband Clarence. Luisito San Juan, the confessed gunman in the slaying, was able to escape police custody.
See, on the other hand, implicated Mendoza in a number of kidnapping cases and called him a "compulsive gambler."
The reorganization of the PNP came in the wake of renewed kidnap-for-ransom activities, a bank robbery in Quezon City and the assassination of labor leader Filemon "Popoy" Lagman last Tuesday.
Mendoza designated Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. as new deputy chief for administration, Edgar Galvante as deputy chief for operations and Rex Piad as chief of the directorial staff. Ebdane also heads the elite Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
New assignments under the Office of the President include Chief Superintendent Clyde Fernandez, Presidential Center for Transnational Crimes; Miguel Coronel, National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Center; and Ramsey Ocampo, Philippine Public Safety College.
National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Edgar Aglipay was designated to head the directorate for operations. His office will be taken over by Deputy Director General Romeo Peña, former chief of the directorial staff.
Other assignments included Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez, director for personnel and records management; Hercules Cataluña, director for intelligence; Cecilio Penilla, director for logistics; Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Velasco, director for comptrollership; Thompson Lantion, director for police community relations;
Chief Superintendent Lucas Managuelod, director for investigation and detective management; Florencio Fianza, director for human resources and doctrine development; and Victor Signey, director for research and development.
Chief Superintendents Enrique Galang and Domingo Reyes Jr. were assigned as provincial directors of Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, respectively.
Also designated were Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto, who now heads the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Varilla, Civil Security Group; Chief Superintendent Prospero Noble Jr., Services Support Group; and Chief Superintendent Rogelio Bathan, Special Action Force. – Marichu Villanueva, Christina Mendez, Matthew Estabillo