Former SPD director Estipona is new Calabarzon police chief

Chief Supt. Benito Estipona: From Southern Police District to Calabarzon. PHOTO FROM PNPSPD.ORG

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Philippines—Chief Supt. Benito Estipona replaced Chief Supt. James Melad as regional police director of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

Estipona, the former chief of the Southern Police District, is a classmate of current Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima in the Philippine Military Academy Class ’81.

Chief Supt. Abner Dimabuyo, Calabarzon deputy regional director for administration, said they received a copy of the order Wednesday morning, a day after Malacañang ordered the relief of Melad.

Melad was relieved from his post following the questionable police operation in Atimonan, Quezon, on Jan. 6, which left 13 people dead, and another in San Juan, Batangas, on Jan. 14, where an alleged member of a gun-for-hire gang, was killed.

Dimabuyo said Estipona’s order of assignment to Calabarzon was dated January 15.