The Philippine National Police shuffled on Thursday 12 high-ranking officials that saw the return of a director, who headed the Special Action Force (SAF) following the 2015 Mamasapano debacle, at the helm of the elite police unit.
PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa brought back Director Noli Taliño to the SAF from the Directorate for Human Resource, Doctrine and Development (DHRDD).
Taliño was previously tapped to replace former SAF chief Getulio Napeñas in an acting capacity after the latter was sacked over the Jan. 25, 2015, debacle in which 44 troopers were killed in encounters with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
He was assigned to head the Central Visayas police office before he was tapped to head the DHRDD.
Taliño will be replacing Director Benjamin Lusad, who was reassigned to the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon (Dipo-SL).
The shuffle is part of the regular movement of officers in the organization, according to Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, spokesperson for the PNP.
He said 40 senior officers, including the PNP chief, were due to retire this year. Dela Rosa’s term ends in April.
Also included in the latest shuffle, under a Jan. 18 special order issued by Dela Rosa, are Director Cedrick Train, who is moving to the DHRDD from the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Western Mindanao; and Director Noel Constantino of the PNP Directorate for Police Community Relations, who was tapped to replace Train at Dipo-Western Mindanao.
The list also saw Director Eduardo Serapio Garado moving to Dipo-SL, replacing Lusad; Chief Supt. Elmo Francis Sarona getting reassigned to the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management from the Cordillera regional police office; Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, previously of the PNP Health Service, replacing Sarona at the Cordillera regional police office; Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis Licup moving to the Mimaropa regional police office, trading places with Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor.
Chief Supt. Robert Quenery was tapped to head the Central Visayas regional police office, replacing Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, who is transferring to the Northern Mindanao police office.
Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb, who headed the Northern Mindanao police office, in turn, would replace Quenery as head of the Cagayan Valley regional police office.
The order took effect on Thursday, the same day it was issued.