MANILA, Philippines –  The Philippine National Police on Saturday, December 9, announced the designation of Superintendent Albert Ferro as the PNP’s new Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) chief.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos made the announcement on Saturday, or  3 days after President Rodrigo Duterte formally announced the PNP’s return to his war on drugs. 

Ferro replaces Chief Superintendent Joseph Adnol, who earlier said that cops do not need body cameras for transparency in their operations, since God sees everything anyway.

Carlos said Adnol will head the Philippine National Police Acadamy (PNPA), to replace Chief Superintendent Randolf Delfin who had just retired.

Ferro is no stranger to the unit. He used to head the DEG’s previous incarnation, the now dissolved Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG).

The AIDG was the elite group of cops mandated to target high-value targets in the PNP’s bid to eradicate drugs. It was dissolved following the Jee Ick Joo scandal, with Ferro’s own men in the eye of the storm. 

Ferro was moved to the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office after the dissolution of the AIDG.

The DEG is much like the AIDG, but it has more personnel and has its own intelligence group to weed out erring cops. (READ: What’s the new PNP Drug Enforcement Group like?)

New assignments

Carlos also announcement the new assignments of the following senior police officers:

• Chief Superintendent Cedrick Train to the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations – Western Mindanao (DIPO-WM)
• Chief Superintendent Marcelo Morales to the Soccsksargen (Region 12) police
• Chief Superintendent Rodelio Jocson to the PNP Maritime Group
• Chief Superintendent Renato Angara to the PNP Information Technology Management Service
• Senior Superintendent Petronelli Baldebrin to the PNP Cagayan Valley (Region 2) police

The movements were apparently triggered by the retirement of veteran cops Director Manuel Felix of the PNP DIPO-WM.

The changes also come at a time when top PNP officials are preparing new guidelines in their drug war, as Duterte reiterated that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency  should lead all anti-narcotics operations.

Ferro and Adnol, along with the other cops, will formally assume their new posts on Monday, December 11, after a ceremony led by PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

On Monday, the PNP’s command group, now with Ferro included, are set to talk about the new drug war guidelines.– Rappler.com