MANILA -- The Philippine National Police underwent a major revamp ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's appointment of a new PNP chief, sources told ABS-CBN News Sunday.
PNP officer-in-charge Archie Gamboa earlier sought and secured approval from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to implement a revamp following Duterte's directive last week.
As OIC, Gamboa has limited powers over personnel movement, but the Napolcom nod empowered him to make changes.
Police Brig. Gen. Joel Coronel, former director of Central Luzon Police, is the new chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the primary investigation arm of the police force.
He replaced Police Major Gen. Amador Corpus, who is the new director for doctrine development.
Police Col. Romeo Caramat is the new chief of the Drug Enforcement Group, while Col. Ronald Lee is the head of the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.
Manila Police District (MPD) chief Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao is the new director of Calabarzon Police, replacing Police Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, who is now Logistics Support Service Director.
Police Brig. Gen Bernabe Balba replaced Danao at the helm of the MPD, while Police Brig. Gen. Angelito Casimiro was assigned to head Cagayan Valley Police.
Elsewhere, the Directorate for Intelligence has a new boss in Police Major Gen. Mariel Magaway.
Former Eastern Visayas director Dionardo Carlos is the new head of the PNP-Highway Patrol Group, replacing Police Brig. Gen Eliseo Cruz, who is now deputy director of CIDG.
Police Brig. Gen Ferdinand Divina will replace Carlos as the head of Eastern Visayas, while former Aviation Security Group director Anthony Alcañeses is the new regional director of Bicol Police.
Gamboa was appointed OIC after the previous PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, stepped down amid allegations that he protected 13 subordinates accused of pilfering 160 kilos of methamphetamine in 2013, a charge that Albayalde denied.
A dismissal order against the 13 Pampanga officers was downgraded to demotion after they filed a motion for reconsideration. The separate criminal cases against them were dismissed due to lack of evidence, said Albayalde.