MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino approved the promotion of 16 top police officials, including the No. 3 man in the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The President signed the promotion of Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino, PNP deputy chief for operations, who got his third star. Belarmino headed the National Task Force HOPE B, which supervised the peace and order situation during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last Oct. 25.
Aside from Belarmino, the other police officials who got their second star or rank of police director included Director Arturo Cacdac of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), Director Rolando Anonuevo of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) in Southern Luzon; Director Danilo Abarzosa of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development, Director Jaime Calungsod of DIPO Visayas, Director Lani-O Nerez of the Directorate for Research and Doctrine Development (DRDD).
The PNP has 10 more new chief superintendents or one-star rank that included PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr.
The other new chief superintendents are: Danilo Constantino, Francisco Cristobal, Pepito Domantay, Gil Hitosis, Edgardo Ladao, Henry Losanes, Angelito Pacia, Arnulfo Perez, and Jose Erwin Villacorte.
Cruz said there would be no major movements in the PNP within the month despite the promotions, since a reshuffle is only implemented in the police force when positions are vacated due to retirement or dismissal of police officials.
Cruz said two police regional directors would retire next month, namely Chief Superintendent Orlando Mabutas of Ilocos region and Chief Superintendent Edwin Corvera of Western Mindanao.