TACLOBAN CITY - The PNP regional office here is on its routine reshuffling of key positions with the scheduled mandatory retirement of senior police officers who are presently holding sensitive posts.

In fact, in Biliran province there is now a new PNP provincial chief following the relief order of then provincial director Sr. Supt. Philip Portacio who is due for compulsory retirement on June this year.

Portacio was replaced by Sr. Supt. Conrado Calvario, who was recently sent back to PRO-8 after his relief as the second man of the PNP here and commander of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force during the time of then police regional chief retired Chief Supt. Dionisio Coloma, Jr.

Calvario was earlier transferred to the Cordillera region reportedly upon request of some influential politicians in the region, but was reassigned here because PRO-8 lacks senior police officers to handle career civil service positions like PNP provincial directors down to command group and command staff positions of the PNP regional headquarters.

Another sensitive post, which is to be assumed by another officer, is the position now being handled by Supt. Arnulfo Cruz, police chief of this city.

Cruz, who has been in the position for the past three years, is also due for retirement on May.

When Chief Supt. Dela Paz assumed office last Sept. 2005, Cruz was rumored to be relieved but he was told to stay considering that he has been efficient in terms of crime solution, his serious campaign against illegal drugs, neutralization of groups engaged in robberies and other crimes in the city.

Supt. Danilo Donayre, chief of the human resource and personnel division of PRO-8, refused to revealed who are these police officials recommended by Dela Paz to replace Cruz when he retires.

However, he said, Supt. Norberto Tuazon and Supt. Franco Simborio are the young police officers who were recently promoted, and one of them will be appointed as OIC while the Senior Office Placement and Promotion Board in Camp Crame is still in the process to select who among the recommended officers are qualified for the position that will be vacated by Cruz.

PRO-8 has a pending request before the office of the PNP chief to send more senior police officers to this region.

Early in 2004, 33 junior officers were assigned to Eastern Visayas, as requested by high-ranking officials of PRO-8 who were subsequently deployed to the different police units in need of junior officers.

Under the new CSC and PNP policy, municipal police chiefs should be manned with a rank of junior police officers.

Senior Supt. Asdali Abah, who has been in floating status, is now one of those highly recommended to assume the directorship in Northern Samar, but a go signal to select him to replace Supt. Isias Tonog has not yet been acted upon by Gov. Raul Daza.