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Vera Cruz promoted as PNP's No. 3 man

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

April 19, 2021, 5:55 pm

<p>New PNP deputy chief for operations, Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz <em>(Photo courtesy of PNP)</em></p>

New PNP deputy chief for operations, Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz (Photo courtesy of PNP)

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen, Debold Sinas on Monday named Lt. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz as the new deputy chief for operations (DCO), the third highest post in the police force.

Vera Cruz will replace Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag who will mandatorily retire from the service on Saturday.

"As to the position of DCO, Gen. (Cesar Hawthorne) Binag will retire on April 24 so just a few days from now and we have informed, recommended to the SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año) that the current TCDS (The Chief of Directorial Staff), Lt. Gen. Vera Cruz will be elevated to the position of DCO and he will take over from Gen. Cesar Binag,” Sinas said in a press briefing.

Sinas, meanwhile, picked Lt. Gen. Ephraim Dickson, chief of the Director for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) Northern Luzon, to replace Vera Cruz as chief of the directorial staff.

Maj. Gen. Manuel Abu, director for human resource and doctrine development, will replace Abu as DIPO Northern Luzon chief.

The reshuffle will take effect on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Sinas said he will wait for Año to come up with a list of his possible successors before making his own recommendation.

“We will wait for SILG to recommend for the next Chief PNP recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte. Then, the President will designate the next CPNP,” Sinas said.

Sinas will retire from the service upon turning 56 on May 8.

Año said he will submit the names of three ranking officials as candidates for the next chief of the PNP by the end of April.

Among possible contenders for the post are members of the PNP command group such as Vera Cruz and Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, deputy chief for administration.

Sinas, Eleazar, Binag, and Vera Cruz belong to the Philippine Military Academy Hinirang Class of 1987. (PNA)

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