ILOILO City – Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco was relieved from his post as director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) effective yesterday.
This was part of the major revamp ordered by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. more than two weeks after he assumed as the country’s 29th top cop.
Francisco’s new assignment is as chief of the PNP’s Directorate for Operations in Camp Crame vice Police Major General Emmanuel Peralta who is now the chief of the Directorial Staff, the PNP’s fourth top post.
Francisco’s reassignment was contained in special order No. NHQ-SO-URA-2023-3498 dated May 8, 2023 and signed by Police Major General Robert Rodriguez, the PNP’s Director for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).
Police Brigadier General Archival Macala will temporarily head the PRO-6 as officer-in-charge, according to Rodriguez. He was the former PRO-6 Deputy Regional Director for Administration.
Francisco, who assumed as PRO-6 director on Aug. 8, 2022, expressed his gratitude to the people of Western Visayas.
“Maraming salamat sa lahat na tumulong sa akin to make this beautiful and peaceful place, the local governments and the media. I am also thankful to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for my new position,” Francisco said.
Macala, for his part, said he is honored to lead the PRO-6 while waiting for the next PRO-6 director.
“We have to follow orders because a good officer is always following orders from the higher headquarters,” said Macala.
Aside from Peralta and Francisco, Acorda named Lieutenant General Michael John Dubria, chief of the directorial staff, as the new deputy chief for operations, the PNP’s third-highest official, replacing Police Major Gen. Jonnel Estomo who was reassigned as director of the Directorate for Plans.
Estomo will be headed to Directorate for Plans replacing Police Major General Bernard Banac, who will be the chief of Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management replacing Police Major General Valeriano De Leon, who retired on May 7. (With reports from the Philippine News Agency)/PN
