Ric Sapnu (PNA) and Jun Malig (rappler.com)
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Chief Supt. Joel Coronel assumed his new post on Tuesday as acting regional director of the Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon), replacing Chief Supt. Amador Corpus.
Coronel, who belongs to Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class Hinirang of 1987, was the chief of Manila Police District prior to his his appointment as NCRPO deputy director for operation.
Corpus, on the other hand, will be assigned at the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame as chief of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) following the compulsory retirement of Director Roel Obusan.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to our PNP chief Police Director, General Oscar Albayalde for the trust and confidence he has given me and with my gratitude I offer him my pledge that I shall do my utmost best to perform my duties, of course with the cooperation of everyone, and I aske everyone to extend to me the same support you have extended to Supt. Corpus so that we can continue to keep PRO3 safe and peaceful at all times,” Coronel said during the turnover ceremony here.
After the simple rite, he immediately met all the provincial and city police directors in the region.
Coronel was the head of the Manila Police District at the beginning of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug “war.”
Under his watch, a police van overran protesters outside the United States embassy in October 2016, and when blasts happened during and after the ASEAN Summit in 2017.
It was also during his time when the Commission on Human Rights found detainees in a secret cell in a Manila police station.
Coronel is the 36th PRO3 regional director.