New PNP chief finds no need to reshuffle police officials

Major General Rommel Francisco Marbil takes his oath as the 30th Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during a ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City, on April 1, 2024. After assuming the post, the new PNP chief says there is no need for a reshuffle among his officials. Screengrab from RTV Malacañang

MANILA, Philippines — A day after taking over as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), General Rommel Francisco Marbil said that he would not implement a reshuffle among ranking officials of his organization in order not to disrupt the stability of each police unit currently.

“No, I don’t do that; if we do a reshuffle, then the units affected will be unstable,” Marbil said during his press conference on Tuesday when asked if he would order a reorganization after assuming the post.

READ: Marbil sets sights on more efficient PNP

The PNP chief said that he would only do so if some police officers happened to commit offenses.

Instead of implementing a reshuffle, Marbil reiterated his plan to form a “better parameter” for policemen to improve the performance of PNP leaders.

“Wala naman kasalanan ang mga pulis natin to reshuffle (These police officers did not commit any violations for us to do a reshuffle). We will just come up with a better parameter. If you cannot perform your duties well, we will give you a chance to improve, but if you can’t, then we will get a better commander,” he said.

During his appointment on Monday, Marbil emphasized the importance of recruiting or having police officers who possess “critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” especially in the war against crime.

He believes that PNP leaders should set an example to the incoming generation of police officers.

“Our policemen are kind; that’s why we follow ‘leadership by example.’ We start from the top. They should not make mistakes, so the rest will follow,” Marbil said.

Marbil is the 30th police chief of the PNP and the third under the current administration. He replaced now-retired General Benjamin Acorda Jr.