Okubo named PNP's number 4 man in latest reshuffle

Police Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo was named as the number four man of the Philippine National Police (PNP) following his designation as the acting Chief of Directorial Staff in a latest reshuffle in the key positions of the police organization.

Okubo’s assumption of the PNP’s number four post will take effect on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and will make him the only graduate of the PNP Academy in the Command Group.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Jose Melencio Nartatez, and PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria are all products of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Okubo belongs to the PNPA Class of 1992 and previously held the positions of director of the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF), and director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

He will be replaced by Police Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco, also a PMA graduate, as the director of the Civil Security Group.

In another reorganization order of Marbil, two senior officials were named as regional directors in the Visayas and Mindanao— Police Brig. Gen. Jay Cumigad as director of the Police Regional Office 8 in Eastern Visayas and Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz as top cop of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

Cumigad replaced Police Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Pawid who was designated as deputy director of the Directorate for Operations while Macapaz will take over the post vacated by Police Brig. Gen. Prexy Taggawohn who was named as the officer-in-charge of the Area Police Command- Northern Luzon.

Police Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay, Jr. on the other hand, was designated as the new head of the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) while Frankie Candelario was named as acting director of the PNP-Intelligence Group.

New Metro Manila top cop

As Nartatez is expected to take over the PNP’s number two post on Wednesday, he will be replaced by Police Maj. Gen. Sidney Sultan Hernia as NCRPO director.

Hernia served as director of the Police Regional Office-Mimaropa, director of the Anti-Cybercrime Group and head of the Directorate for Personnel Records and Management.

Marbil also appointed Police Brig Gen. Benjamin Sembrano as the acting director of the PNP Forensics Group while Brig. Gen. Constancio Chinayog, Jr. was named as Hernia’s replacement as the DPRM head.

On the other hand, Marbil placed Police Col. Jeffrey Decena as acting deputy regional director for Administration of the Police Regional Office 3 in Central Luzon which is now headed by Police Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan.