The Southern Police District (SPD) director, the last remaining district head in Metro Manila to have been appointed at the start of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, was designated acting regional director of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) in an order made public on Monday.
Chief Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr. was appointed SPD director by former Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa on July 1, 2016, kicking off a long tenure compared to his counterparts.
While he remained at the SPD, his coappointees were either promoted (former Quezon City Police District head, Director Guillermo Eleazar, now heads the National Capital Region Police Office) or relieved amid controversy (former Northern Police District (NPD) director, Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo, was fired from his post in 2017 after Caloocan City police killed 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos).
Apolinario, Eleazar and Fajardo, along with former Eastern and Manila Police District heads, Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula and Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, respectively, were tasked with launching Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs in Metro Manila in 2016, a bloody campaign that would leave thousands dead.
According to an order dated Sept. 7, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde directed Senior Supt. Eliseo Cruz, the current NPD deputy director for administration, to fill Apolinario’s shoes at the SPD.