Ex Robredo aide tops Napolcom exam

MANILA, Philippines - A former security aide of the late Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo has topped the Police Executive Service Eligibility (PESE) written examination given last August 26 by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

According to the Napolcom, Police Superintendent Rodolfo D. Castro Jr., who was assigned as Robredo’s security aide for a year until his death last August 18, graduated at the top of his class both in the Police Intelligence Officers Course and Police Intelligence Officers Advance Course.

Castro is presently assigned at the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office, Police Regional Office 1 and is projected to be appointed as its Chief Operations Officer. According to Napolcom records, Castro was also among the top four graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Batch 1999.

Other police officials who made it to the top five of the PESE written exam were: Chief Insp. Rudy L. Elandag (Top 2); Chief Insp. Marlon B. Oloan and Supt. Conrado L. Villanueva (Top 3); Chief Insp. Arthur V. Bisnar and Supt. Deanry R. Francisco (Top 4); and, Supt. Eleazar S. Gran,  Supt. Manuel P. Castro, Chief Insp. Abubakar U. Mangelen, Jr., Chief Insp. Reycon L. Garduque and Chief Insp. Edward D. Quijano (Top 5).

Garduque is currently serving as the chief of the Makati Police’s Intelligence Division.

Meanwhile the Napolcom also said that out of the 372 senior officials of the PNP who took the PESE written examination, only 194 (52 percent) passed, composed of 75 Police Chief Inspectors, 114 Police Superintendents and five Police Senior Superintendents.

Napolcom Vice-Chairman and Executive Officer Eduardo Escueta said the 194 PNP senior officials from all over the country who have passed the PESE written exam are now qualified to proceed to the validation interview scheduled on November 24 and 25, 2012  at the Napolcom head office in Makati City.

Escueta said the panel of interviewers is composed of senior officials from the Napolcom and PNP and representatives from the civil society and the academe.

“The PESE is an eligibility requirement for the ranks of Police Senior Superintendent (equivalent to colonel in the military) to Police Director General (equivalent to four-star general),” said Escueta.

According to Escueta, the PESE examinations are composed of a written part and a panel interview where the candidate is grilled on analytical questions about police leadership and police values.