It’s official: Dela Rosa is new PNP chief

Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is now officially the 21st chief of the Philippine National Police.

Newly sworn-in President Rodrigo Duterte formally installed Dela Rosa as the head of the 160,000-police force in a ceremony at the PNP headquarters on Friday morning.

Duterte personally handpicked Dela Rosa, a former chief of Davao City Police, to take over the police force in a bid to fulfill his promise to suppress illegal drugs and criminality in the country within six months.

READ: Duterte taps Dela Rosa as next PNP chief

Dela Rosa is replacing former Director General Ricardo Marquez, his upperclassman by four years at the Philippine Military Academy, who retired from police service last Tuesday.

Duterte will also promote Dela Rosa to Director General, the highest rank a PNP officer could  receive.

READ: Bato chooses PMA upperclassmen as PNP deputies

Former President Fidel Ramos, a known Duterte supporter, new defense chief Delfin Lorenzana, new Interior Secretary Mike Sueño and Senator Manny Pacquiao attended the change of command ceremony at Camp Crame.

Before assuming the top PNP post, Dela Rosa, a member of PMA” Sinagtala” Class of 1986, was the executive officer of the Directorate for Hunan Resource and Doctrine Development.

Dela Rosa also held positions in the command group of the PNP Intelligence Group from October 2013 to December 2014.

After the ceremony, the President is expected to hold a command conference with the PNP command group and other top officials of the police.

Duterte will then proceed to the Armed Forces of the Philippiness to formally install Lieutenant General Ricardo Visaya as the military chief. CDG/rga

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