Eleazar orders another reshuffle

MANILA – Three days after he assumed as new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Gen. Guillermo Eleazar reshuffled more police officials.

In an order that will take effect on Monday, Eleazar reassigned Maj. Gen. Bernabe Balba as new chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) in the Visayas from Special Action Force (SAF).

Balba will replace Lt. Gen. Dionardo Carlos who was earlier assigned as deputy chief for operations of the PNP.

Brig. Gen. Nelson Bondoc will be transferred from National Capital Region Police (NCRPO) to take the helm of the Police Regional Office (PRO) of Mimaropa (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan).

From Southern Police District (SPD) under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz will be designated as new director of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon). He will replace Brig. Gen. Felipe Natividad who was named as new SAF director.

Col. Randy Peralta will be transferred from Office of Chief PNP to take leadership of DIPO Western Mindanao, replacing Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo who will get new post at NCRPO.

Last Friday, Eleazar revamped the top posts of the Command Group, naming Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz as the new deputy chief for administration, the PNP’s second-highest official.

Lt. Gen. Ephraim Dickson, the chief of the directorial staff, replaced Vera Cruz as deputy chief for operations, making him the police force’s third-ranking official.

Carlos, also former PNP spokesperson, will take the place of Dickson.

Eleazar also ordered the reshuffle of Maj. Gen. Rolando Hinanay from the Civil Security Group (CSG) to Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).

Eleazar officially became the 26th police chief on Friday, taking over the post from former PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas, after the latter’s mandatory retirement.