Police Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao was named as the number four man of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a major reshuffle that also affected 17 other senior officers of the organization.
PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said the major reorganization was triggered by the looming retirement of Police Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz, the number two man of the PNP being the Deputy Chief for Administration, who was placed under Non-Duty Status (NDS) until his mandatory retirement on March 8.
Danao, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), is now the Chief Directorial Staff of the PNP, a post vacated by Police Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia who moved up as number three man, the Deputy Chief for Operations.
Sermonia assumed the post vacated by Police Lt. Gen. Ephraim Israel Dickson who took over the post vacated by Vera Cruz.
Police Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro also vacated the post as director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) which was given to Police Brig Gen. Eliseo Cruz.
From being head of the PNP's elite Special Action Force, Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad took over the post vacated by Danao as Metro Manila police chief. Brig. Gen. Patrick Villacorte was named as Natividad's replacement in SAF.
Brig. Gen. Westrimundo Obinque was named as the new director of the Police Regional Office 1 or the Ilocos region, replacing Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta who was assigned to the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (DHRDD). Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn was moved to Communications and Electronics Service from DHRDD.
From being regional director of the Police Regional Office 11 or Davao Region, Brig. Gen. Filmore Escobal was moved to the PNP's Area Police Command (APC)- Eastern Mindanao, replacing Maj. Gen. Joseph Ulysses Gohel was transferred to APC- Southern Luzon.
Escobal will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo as director of the PRO 11.
From APC Southern Luzon, Brig. Gen. Remus Zacharias Canieso was transferred to APV-Visayas.
Police Brig. Gen. Harris Fama was named as the head of the Information Technology and Management Service while Police Col. Jonathan Abella was moved from Police Regional Office 7 to Police Regional Office 8.
Police Col. Jonathan Cabal was named as the new executive officer of the Directorate for Police Communist Relations. The post that he vacated in PRO8 was taken over by Abella.
Based on the unit reassignment order obtained by the Manila Bulletin, the reorganizatio is effective on Tuesday, March 1.