MANILA, Philippines – In the latest reshuffle in the Philippine National Police (PNP), former PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernardo Banac has recently been named the new regional director of the Eastern Visayas police. 

Banac was among the 16 high-ranking police officers who were reshuffled by the PNP exactly five days before the campaign season for the national polls kicks off on February 8. He served as PNP spokesperson from January 2019 to September 2020. 

In an order signed January 31, PNP chief Police General Dionardo Carlos ordered the reshuffle effective Thursday, February 3. On Monday, January 31, Carlos also confirmed that there was also a reshuffle among 39 police officers across 16 regions. 

Reshuffling in the PNP has become a standard practice before every official campaign period kicks off. According to the PNP, revamp is usually being ordered to avoid impressions of partiality toward politicians in the police chiefs and directors’ area of assignment. 

Appointed to Calabarzon 

Among the recently reshuffled police officers is Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Brigadier General Antonio Yarra, who was assigned to head the Calabarzon police. As an agency deputized by the Commission on Elections to ensure law enforcement during elections, Yarra will play a vital role in overseeing the police in the most vote-rich region in the country. 

Yarra replaced Brigadier General Eliseo Cruz, who was appointed as acting deputy commander of Area Police Command (APC), Visayas. Meanwhile, Yarra was replaced by Brigadier General Remus Medina as the new district director of the QCPD. 

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Medina was among the 18 cops tagged in the infamous “mañanita” incident by former PNP chief Debold Sinas that broke quarantine rules. The new QCPD director was also with Sinas when they were caught on camera allegedly harassing a family in an old police compound in Taguig City in July 2020. 

Here is the complete list of reshuffled police officers and their new designation: 

• Police Major General Herminio Tadeo Jr., from APC, Visayas to Directorate for Personnel Records and Management
• Police Major General Bartolome Bustamante, from Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR) to Directorate for Plans (DPL)
• Police Major General Walter Castillejos, from DPL to DPCR
• Police Major General Domingo Cabillan, from APC, Northern Luzon to Office of the Chief PNP (OCPNP)
• Police Major General Nickson Muksan, from APC, Western Mindanao to OCPNP
• Police Brigadier General Arthur Cabalona, from Directorate for Comptrollership (DC) to Bangsamoro police
• Police Brigadier General Eliseo Cruz, from Calabarzon police to APC, Visayas
• Police Brigadier General Eden Ugale, from Bangsamoro police to APC, Western Mindanao
• Police Brigadier General Antonio Yarra, from QCPD to Calabarzon police
• Police Brigadier General Alessandro Abella, from Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management to APC, Northern Luzon 
• Police Brigadier General Rommel Bernardo Cabagnot, from Eastern Visayas police to OCPNP
• Police Brigadier General Ferdinand Sifuentes, from Police Security and Protection Group to OCPNP
• Police Brigadier General Armando de Leon, from Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management to PNP Training Service
• Police Brigadier General Remus Medina, from PNP Drug Enforcement Group to QCPD
• Police Brigadier General Mafelino Bazar, from Central Visayas police to DC 
• Police Brigadier General Bernardo Banac, from PNP TS to Eastern Visayas police

– Rappler.com