Berroya to get Mindanao post

A waltz of the generals is set to unfold at the Philippine National Police (PNP) with at least 14 senior police officials getting or losing key assignments, including sacked Central Luzon director Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya.

According to sources at the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotions Board (SOPPB), Berroya — one of seven police officials who were sacked last month for allegedly failing to curb illegal gambling in their areas — will be named Southern Mindanao police chief.

Berroya first came under the limelight when, as a member of the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC), he was charged and convicted of a kidnapping case but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court.

The PACC was headed by his compadre, then Vice President Joseph Estrada, and included his former Philippine Military Academy classmate and fellow police officer Panfilo Lacson, now an opposition senator.

Estrada and Lacson were the ones who arrested Berroya for the kidnapping of businessman Jack Chou.

Berroya has since publicly denounced Estrada and Lacson and worked actively against them, especially during the people power II uprising that ousted Estrada in January 2001.

As Southern Mindanao police chief, Berroya will be replacing Chief Superintendent Eduardo Matillano, who was reputed to have collared Lacson, who was then PNP chief, at the height of EDSA II after a meeting with then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Linden Suites in Pasig City.

Matillano will be named chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), a post usually held by a police director, a notch higher than his current rank.

Matillano will be taking over from Director Nestorio Gualberto who retires next month and is expected to be named deputy executive director of the newly established Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

But a close Lacson ally, Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales, will also be getting a key position as chief of the PNP Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) vice Chief Superintendent Robert Delfin, whose next assignment is still unknown.

Sales served as deputy of Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino, who is wanted by authorities for multiple murder. Aquino was Lacson’s intelligence chief at the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force during the Estrada administration.

Also reassigned was Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez Jr., who is to take command of the Cagayan Valley police vice Chief Superintendent Dominador Resos, who would be moved to the PNP Logistics Support Service.

On the other hand, the directorship of the Southern Tagalog police will either be given to Chief Superintendent Quirino de la Torre, chief of the PNP Computer Service, or Chief Superintendent Enrique Galang, incumbent Bicol police chief.

Chief Superintendent Eduardo Gador, chief of the PNP Health Service, is slated to be appointed Northern Luzon police director, replacing Chief Superintendent Arturo Lomibao, who will be named Western Visayas police chief.

Former Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, will replace Director Avelino Razon, who along with Berroya and Reyes were sacked for their failure to stop illegal gambling.

Eastern Visayas police regional director Chief Superintendent Nardito Yoro will not be affected by the revamp, the sources said.

Director Jose Lalisan will replace Director Virtus Gil as chief of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.

Gil is expected to be named chief of the PNP Directorial Staff vice Deputy Director General Rex Piad who will be retiring next month.