Galvante returns to old post

Metro Manila police Chief Deputy Director General Edgar Galvante is set to get his former post as the number three man in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

With Galvante’s impending promotion as the PNP’s deputy chief for operations, all eyes are set on who will replace him at the helm of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), the post he held for less than six months.

Galvante’s promotion will be announced anytime this week by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo upon her return from the three-day APEC meeting in China.

"I’m awaiting my orders," Galvante told The STAR, adding he was aware of the PNP leadership’s plan to elevate him back to his former post.

The post of PNP deputy chief for operations was left vacant with the recent passing away of Deputy Director General Romeo Peña. Galvante and Peña swapped posts last March.

Galvante told The STAR that he did not recommend anybody to replace him at the NCRPO.

However, The STAR learned that Galvante’s to be vacated post is being hotly contested by Directors Edgar Aglipay and Efren Fernandez, the deputy chiefs for operations and personnel and records management of the PNP, respectively.

Aglipay is being endorsed by the Metro Manila Mayors while Fernandez has the backing of congressmen from the metropolis.

If Aglipay gets Malacañang’s nod, it will be his second posting at the NCRPO. Aglipay led his five police district directors in supporting the camp of Arroyo at the height of EDSA People Power 2 last January, that eventually ousted former President Joseph Estrada. During his more than two years at the NCRPO, Aglipay was also credited for bringing back the high confidence of the public in their police force.

Fernandez was the former head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Western Police District (WPD) and the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8).

He will not be new to the job, since he was Aglipay’s deputy for administration prior to his posting to PRO 8.

Both Aglipay and Fernandez refused to comment on their chances in making it as the next NCRPO chief. But Galvante is confident that whoever between the two will be named as his replacement would be qualified for the job.