PNS — ANOTHER reshuffle of key Philippine National Police posts will take effect this week with the retirement of Deputy Director General Jefferson P. Soriano on Friday.
Today, Chief Supt. Artemio Hicban, Jr. of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1978 will take over as the new regional director of the Police Regional Office 4-B which has jurisdiction over the provinces of Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.
Hicban will replace his retiring “mistah,” Chief Supt. Paul Mascarinas.
On Friday, there will be an “upward movement” at the PNP with the early retirement of Soriano.
Sources said Deputy Director General Perfecto P. Palad will replace Soriano as deputy chief for administration, a post he held for two weeks just like Director Raul M. Bacalzo who will be the new deputy chief for operations vice Palad.
Bacalzo, the Chief of Directorial Staff, will be replaced by Director Benjamin A. Belarmino, Jr.
Sources said Belarmino will be replaced as Director for Research and Development by Chief Supt. Lani-O R. Nerez, who is currently the Police Regional Office 7 director in Central Visayas . Chief Supt. Ager Ontog is reportedly set to replace Nerez at the PRO7.
Chief Supt. Nicanor A. Bartolome, of the Police-Comnunity Relations Group, is also set to be designated as the new PRO4-A director in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region vice Chief Supt. Rolando R. Anonuevo. Sources said Anonuevo will be the new head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon vice retiring Director Eric Q. Javier.
Soriano and his batchmates last week said they will retire early from the service to allow their underclassmen to occupy their posts. He said he opted to retire on August 13 instead of Nov. 1 this year.
Sources also said Soriano, a former commander of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force, is one of the top contenders for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s top post.
Another classmate, Director Romeo C. Hilomen, retired two weeks ago to give way to Chief Supt. Rey L. Lanada who is the new Director for Comptrollership.