MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police is dispersing its police superintendents in Metro Manila and nearby regional offices to fill field positions lacking officers of their training and experience.

Director Edgardo Acuña, PNP Personnel and Records Management Directorate chief, said some 142 superintendents now clogging the hierarchy in the metropolis and Central and Southern Luzon would be redeployed to the field.

“The threat is widespread in Mindanao and the Bicol region but we lack personnel because our superintendents have conglomerated in areas like Region 3, Region 4, and Metro Manila,” said Acuña, also executive director of the Project Management Office, PNP's reform arm.

Superintendents are mid-level police officers qualified to serve as police chief of a Class-A municipality, as deputy provincial director, or as official at regional police offices, said Senior Superintendent Catalino Cuy, PMO executive officer.

He said some officers have been staying in their preferred posts “out of convenience.”

“We have to redistribute our personnel to equitably fill up human resources requirements in our field units. We need leadership in other units, and these are seasoned officers,” said the official.

Acuña issued several directives this past week moving batches of superintendents to crucial operational points in Mindanao and the Bicol region to give as much strength to PNP offices outside the Camp Crame headquarters.

The headquarters' move is in line with PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa's policy of decentralizing the police force from the headquarters to town police stations.

The new chief's policy also entailed devolving the placement and promotion of certain police ranks to the regional, provincial, and town levels.