PNP No. 3 man's retirement triggers revamp

MANILA, Philippines - The retirement of Deputy Director General Edgardo Acuna, the number 3 man of the Philippine National Police, is expected to trigger a reshuffle at the PNP under the leadership of President Aquino.

Acuna, who belongs to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class ’76, will turn 56 on Aug. 1 but the PNP leadership decided to hold his retirement ceremonies yesterday.

Acuna is the PNP’s deputy chief for operations and the concurrent head of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

During his stint at the PNP, Acuna initiated several projects and programs, including the Project Management Office (PMO), which supervises the PNP’s Transformation Program.

Sources told The STAR that Acuna will be replaced by Deputy Director General Perfecto Palad, whose post as the PNP’s chief directorial staff will go to Director Raul Bacalzo.

Bacalzo’s post as head of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) would be taken over by Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, whose post as director of the Central Luzon police would go to Chief Superintendent Allan Purisima.

Directors Eugene Martin and Romeo Hilomen, heads of the directorate for intelligence and comptrollership, would also retire early to give way to other junior officers.

Martin will turn 56 on Aug. 7 and Hilomen this December but they opted to leave the police service Aug. 3.

Sources claimed that Director Raul Castaneda will replace Martin while Chief Superintendent Rey Lanada would replace Hilomen.

According to reports, Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), would take over the post vacated by Castaneda as the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) Northern Luzon.

The incoming NCRPO chief is Director Leocadio Santiago, the erstwhile chief of the Special Action Force (SAF), the fighting unit of the PNP, reports said.

Chief Superintendent Catalino Cuy, a former aide of former President Fidel Ramos, will replace Santiago.

The turnover of the above -mentioned new appointments would take place on Aug. 3 at the office of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Hilomen is a classmate of Acuna and Verzosa; Palad and Bacalzo of the PMA Class ’77; Rosales, Castaneda, and Cacdac of PMA Class ’78; Lanada and Santiago, of Class ’79, and Purisima and Cuy of Class ’81. 

The next round of reshuffle will be this September when Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, the PNP’s deputy chief for administration (DCA) and other members of the PMA Class ‘76 would retire early.