BACOLOD CITY – Police Col. Leo Pamittan was assigned as the new head of the Negros Occidental police effective Jan. 9.
Pamittan replaced Police Col. Romy Palgue as acting provincial police director effective Jan. 8, based on the memorandum from the Philippine National Police (PNP) issued last Saturday.
Palgue was among the four police directors in Western Visayas that was affected by the movement, a day before the banning of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the movement of any police officers ahead of the May 2022 elections.
Pamittan was formerly assigned at the Capiz Provincial Police Office, while Palgue’s new assignment has yet to be revealed.
Police Lt. Abegael Donasco, Negros Occidental police spokesperson, said that police directors, who rendered more than a year of tenure was relieved to avoid familiarity.
Meanwhile, 10 police chiefs in the province were also reshuffled in the province last Saturday, before Palgue's exit.
Donasco said the reshuffling was based on a memorandum circular that police chiefs should not have an accumulated more than six years of tenure in their respective areas of assignment.
The said movement was in line with the guidelines and procedures in securing the conduct of the elections this year.