4 SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS SHUFFLED AS PNP BOOSTS DRIVE VS REDS

Four police senior officers have been designated to lead the anti-insurgency and antiterrorism area command units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a latest revamp aimed at complementing the security operations of the military.

PNP chief Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said the fill-out of its Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPOs) also premised on the familiarity of the officers to their field assignments.

In the case of Maj. Gen. Dionardo Carlos, Cascolan said the official was originally designated as DIPO-Southern Luzon director but has to be moved to the DIPO-Visayas since the former was assigned to various posts in the Visayas. Carlos will be replaced by Brig. Gen Manuel Abu as DIPO Southern Luzon director since his hometown is located in the southern part of Luzon.

Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Daway will take over the DIPO for Eastern Mindanao while Maj. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo will assume the leadership of the DIPO-Western Mindanao.

The PNP has created five DIPOs during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is to synchronize the anti-insurgency operations with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The five PNP DIPOs are equivalent to the five area commands of the AFP -- the Northern Luzon Command, Southern Luzon Command, Central Command, Eastern Mindanao Command, and Western Mindanao Command. Cascolan earlier empowered the DIPOs to what is really created for.

The DIPOs have gained notoriety as the assignment for retiring senior police officers and those who are not allies of the sitting Chief PNP.

No senior police officers would want to be assigned to the DIPOs but now, Cascolan is also pushing to have the directors of the five DIPOs to be a threestar rank.

The DIPOs, according to Cascolan, will have direct supervision over the regional and provincial units of the police’s Mobile Forces Battalions and Companies.