Police top-level posts filled up except PNP chief

ALL top-level positions in the Philippine National Police leadership have been filled up – except that of the PNP chief.

Since the suspension of resigned PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima in December last year, there had allegedly been a vacuum in the PNP leadership, with one police official taking over three posts at the same time.

While Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina is the PNP officer in charge in the absence of PNP chief, he now stands as the deputy chief for administration, the second in command of the 150,000-strong police force.

Taking over Espina’s former post was Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr. as the deputy chief for operations, next to Espina as third man in the PNP chain of command.

Completing the leadership as the fourth man in the PNP chain of command is Director Danilo Constantino as the Chief of Directorial Staff, which was formerly occupied by Garbo.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the orders came from the PNP leadership itself “with the guidance of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and President Benigno Aquino III.”

With Constantino’s promotion, he will be vacating his post as the directorate for police community relations head. Cerbo said the DPCR deputy director Chief Superintendent Rene Ong would fill up the position until the PNP designates new DPCR head.

In a directive signed by Chief Superintendent Dominador Aquino Jr., officer in charge of the directorate for personnel and records management, Espina, Garbo and Constantino’s new designations are effective starting Tuesday, April 14.

With Espina’s new appointments, he will have to juggle his roles as the head of the police force and as the TDCA, supervising administrative matters and financial transactions of the PNP.

“He would also focus on materials, logistics, supplies, among other things and manages personnel, promotions, in their administration aspect. Meanwhile, the TDCO manages operational aspects of the PNP–operations, planning, intelligence, investigations, deployment, operation plans, and strategies. So ngayon, napaghiwalay na natin ‘yan,” Cerbo explained.

Cerbo said the movement of key PNP officials had eased Espina’s workload since he used to perform the functions of TDCA, TDCO and PNP OIC since Purisima was preventively suspended over corruption allegations.

“Lingid sa kaalaman niyo, maraming trabaho and no. 2 and no. 3 man ng PNP. With the entry of Garbo as TDCO and Constantino as TCDS, tatlo na silang makakapagtulungan. Mas mabibigyan nila ng tutok ang mga trabaho,” he said.

The TCDS, meanwhile, is the overall manager of all PNP directorial staff. He takes responsibility for the directorate offices of personnel and records management, operations, intelligence, plans, comptrollership, logistics, research and development, among others.

“The TCDS ensures that all directives emanating from the OIC and his deputies are being carried out by the directorial staff offices,” Cerbo added. AC