President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday made P/Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta the shortest serving officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) — just for a day — after he appointed P/General Francisco Marbil the country’s top cop.

On Easter Sunday, Malacañang announced and the PNP welcomed the designation of Peralta as OIC “until a replacement is appointed or until otherwise directed by this Office.”

Peralta’s OIC designation, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, became effective on 31 March 2024, with him taking over the same day General Benjamin Acorda Jr. retired.

 The following day, Monday, the President tried to explain the quick transition from Acorda to Peralta to Marbil as he attended  the change of command ceremony for the latter.

“In the PNP, leadership changes and new assignments are given, but the mission remains: to serve and to protect the people. One goal also remains constant for the PNP: that the PNP does not sit content on its laurels won, but works hard to win more,” Marcos said.

“The PNP tradition is that as soon as the bar is surpassed, it is then raised. The drive to do better, to push harder is what has fueled the PNP’s aspiration to set new standards,” he added.

The last two PNP OICs — retired police generals Archie Gamboa and Vicente Danao — each served for several months.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte named Gamboa PNP chief after three months as OIC. After almost a year, he retired in September 2020.

Danao served as OIC for over three months. He was OIC from 5 May 2022, a few days before the 2022 elections, until Marcos appointed Rodolfo Azurin Jr. the first PNP commander of his administration in August 2022.

Marbil said he intends to enhance the effectiveness of the police force during his tenure by streamlining the organization and maximizing the potential of senior officers.

He vowed to fight local and transnational crimes in all their forms and manifestations, while collaborating with local government units and communities to build trust between the police and the public.

Likewise, Marbil said he wants police officers who have strong problem-solving abilities and who are critical thinkers, particularly in combating crime.

“We need officers who recognize that it is not enough to act decisively, relentlessly, and fast in the war against crime but there must also be accountability and transparency on our end,” he said.

“Most importantly, we will nurture police officers to whom a humane approach to law enforcement is a given,” he added.

In his speech during the retirement honors for Acorda in Camp Crame, Marcos underscored his expectations for the PNP under Marbil’s leadership, emphasizing a commitment to a police force that is “pro-God, pro-country, pro-people, and pro-environment.”

Marcos said Acorda’s “Five-Focused Agenda” guided the PNP towards more honest law enforcement operations, enhanced information technology capabilities, and stronger community relations.

“The PNP’s efforts in combatting various forms of crime have yielded tangible results, which exhibit the diligence of our officers and personnel, as well as the effectiveness of our programs,” Marcos said.

The President cited the OCTA Research survey conducted last year that recognized the PNP as the third-highest performing and most trusted among 25 government agencies in the second quarter of 2023 with a 76-percent trust rating.

Marbil served as the officer-in-charge of the PNP’s Directorate for Comptrollership before being named the organization’s chief. He was also Eastern Visayas police director and led the PNP Highway Patrol Group.

Marbil is the 30th PNP chief and the third under Marcos after the national police force was established in 1991.