PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Thursday said he was in close coordination with several lawmakers over a proposed law reforming the entire police force.
Meanwhile, the PNP hierarchy underwent a reshuffle following the retirement of PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia.
Acorda made the disclosure during a command conference led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who reminded the police hierarchy to ensure that their proposed amendments to the PNP Reform and Reorganization Bill would be embodied in the final version.
Acorda told the President that he had been given the opportunity to review the measure.
‘’They are now giving me the opportunity to review the Senate version before the (bicameral conference). And they are asking me to write a letter to include all the provisions that we wanted rectified from this Senate version of the (reorganization) bill,” Acorda said.
The Senate had unanimously approved a proposed bill seeking to institutionalize organizational reforms to the police organization. It is one of the priority legislations of the Marcos administration.
The House of Representatives passed in August last year the measure restructuring the PNP to bolster its efficiency in law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the Western Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO-6) got a new a new chief as an offshoot of a reshuffle of high ranking officers.
Acorda Jr. named Aviation Security Group chief Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky as the new head of PRO-6 vice Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor who was designated as the new chief of directorate for human resource and doctrine development (DHRDD).
Former DHRDD head Maj. Gen. Ronald Lee was transferred to the directorate for operations, replacing Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco.
Francisco was reassigned as the new chief of the directorate for investigation and detective management.
