PNP to undergo revamp as 2 generals retire next month

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is in for another reshuffle as two generals are about to retire in February.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Edgardo Doromal is set to retire on Feb. 9 and Western Visayas (Region 6) Police director Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Dulay on Feb. 14 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Sources said strong contenders for the CIDG’s top post are Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Mendoza, who is currently the deputy chief of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), and Intelligence Group (IG) head Chief Superintendent Raul Castañeda.

A police official said the Senior Officers Placement and Promotions Board (SOPPB) sub-committee will deliberate on the next chiefs of IG, CIDG, and deputies of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO).

But The STAR gathered that even before the deliberation and decision of the SOPPB, influential personalities have “appointed” their own choices to the posts.

“Castañeda will be assigned to CIDG, while Chief Superintendent Rolando Añonuevo will be the IG chief, Senior Superintendent Francisco Don Montenegro will be the CIDG-deputy director for administration (DDA), while Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina will be the CIDG-deputy director for operations (DDO),” said a source.

Three other officers will be “appointed” as deputies of NCRPO, Western Visayas and to the Directorate for Plans.

In Western Visayas, The STAR found that the strong contenders to replace Dulay are Chief Superintendent Eric Javier, Chief Superintendent Isagani Cuevas, Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño, and Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao, all members of the Philippine Military Acamedy (PMA) Class ‘77.

The names of Cuevas, Sunglao and Pestaño cropped up despite prior information that the assignment of Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. as Western Visayas deputy director for administration was in preparation for his eventual appointment as director of Region 6.

Pagdilao is considered one of the youngest generals in the PNP, being a member of PMA Class ’79. He was the former PNP spokesman but was replaced by Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome.

Sources said Pagdilao will likely be bypassed since the contenders to Western Visayas are his seniors.