PNP has three spokesmen

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police will have three spokespersons after its chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome, said he has authorized two more police officers to speak for the PNP, along with the incoming official spokesman.

Bartolome said that Chief Superintendent Lina Sarmiento of the Directorate for Police Community Relations and outgoing PNP spokesman, Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., will speak on the PNP’s behalf in case incoming spokesman Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo is attending to other concerns.

“I want a spokesman available anytime that he’s needed,” he said.

Bartolome, however, clarified that while there will be three officials authorized to speak, Cerbo, Sarmiento, and Cruz will have to closely coordinate with each other before they make media releases.

He said Cerbo will be the principal spokesman as the Public Information Office’s chief and the two will serve as his reliever.

Bartolome said that a similar set-up was implemented during his time as a spokesman of the PNP. He was PNP spokesman from 1999 to 2001 and from 2007 to 2009.

Meanwhile, with regard to the incident at the Camp Crame Thursday where reporters were barred from covering a change of command ceremony, Bartolome said that he has ordered an investigation on the matter to determine what went wrong.